


Run away

by Aracney, NoLifeToCallMyOwn



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, M/M, Magic, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Pirate Bill Cipher, Pirates, Sirens, half siren Dipper Pines, half siren Mabel Pines
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2018-07-15 11:06:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 31,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7219918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aracney/pseuds/Aracney, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoLifeToCallMyOwn/pseuds/NoLifeToCallMyOwn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Running from home is easy. But running from the government is not as easy as it seems. Dipper Pines has been running from country to country to get away from the English government, and the only people who can find out why are Bill and his ship full of pirates.</p>
<p>Edit 15/02/17: The story is being continued.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: AUTHOR HAS HAD SERIOUS HEAD TRAUMA AND HAS EXTREME AMNESIA. ARACNEY WILL BE THE NEW AUTHOR IF THEY CHOOSE TO BE. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience please continue.
> 
> Edit 15/02/17: The story is being continued. Previous chapters have been edited with a few tiny alterations, but nothing major.

Dipper had had enough, the English government had followed him all the way to Japan. The last time he had eaten was three days ago and today he was going to eat something. Japan had been good to him for the few weeks he was there; the English were unable to enter the country due to a conflict and a few people were around to buy him whatever he needed. Unfortunately those few people were hospitalized and now he had no money. There was only one thing left to do, use his skills as a thief to steal as much food as he could.

As the evening set in Dipper sat on the roof of his hideout. He grabbed his bags and pulled his hood up. He had recently stolen the outfit of an assassin so it should be easy. The market was packed with people tonight as a festival was starting and he couldn't wait to just take everything he wanted. Walking down the isles he found food and other various goods and he stuffed most of them into his bags with a smile. No one noticed anything missing no matter how much he took. Then something caught his eye, a jewelry stand with expensive gems and metals. Making his way over to the stand was a much harder task than he thought. Many people pushed him around in different directions making it harder for him to move. Finally after having to push through the crowd he made it over to the stand. No one was there to protect the goods and he stared at the jewels a little confused. "What the hell?" he spoke more to himself than anybody around. 

Shrugging he looked over the jewels in curiosity. He wasn't going to need them for now so grabbing them was really pointless. Though a pair of earrings caught his attention and drew his eyes. They were deep blue sapphires cut into the shape of a pine tree surrounded in silver that was carved into a dream catcher. There were feathers hanging from small strings that were delicately attached to the silver. He laughed a little at how ironic it was, he wasn't getting much sleep recently due to nightmares. He swiftly grabbed the earrings, pocketed them and started walking away. As if on cue a group of people made their way over to him. "Hi fellas, how can I help you?" He asked with a sly smile.

The largest in the group pointed to the bags and frowned. They started to relax when Dipper grabbed his bags and opened them one by one revealing empty rooms. Of course they really weren't and he was hiding the stolen goods in hidden pockets that were attached to the bags. After showing them the bags were empty, he reached own to empty his trouser pockets but stopped after remembering the earrings. The group noticed this and tensed again. One stepped forward just a bit and Dipper started running. He weaved his way through the crowd while the group chased after him. He smiled, remembering the days he and Mabel used to steal from the wealthy families in England. That wouldn't be happening any time soon though...

For hours the group kept coming. No matter where he hid he couldn't find any place to escape. The only other place he could go was the ship port and hope someone would help him out. He was currently hiding in a dark alley behind an inn he had stayed at. Watching the group pass the alleyway, Dipper rushed to the port taking the back roads. He jumped over crates and over fences till the port was in sight. Smiling he ran faster as the ships came into view. Though his happiness was short lived as he collided into another person and tumbled to the ground. The sound of air being knocked out of lungs was heard as the world spun around him. "Shit, what was that?" he asked himself.

"You a'ight lad?" The voice startled Dipper out of his dizziness and he looked underneath him. There, was a man with a grin on his face and a dangerous look in his eye that almost said 'get off before I smash your face in'. Quickly Dipper apologized and stood up offering his hand.

"S-Sorry! I was running and I didn't see you there." The man just smiled at him and took his hand. Dipper looked away in guilt as he pulled the other up.

"And what might you have been running from lad?" The man asked and Dipper froze. 'What do I tell him? Should I lie? He might kill me if I tell the truth.'

Dipper thought for a second before opening his mouth to speak. "I wasn't running 'from' anything. I was just running because I enjoy it." He spoke with confidence and the grin on the other quickly turned into a frown.

"I wouldn't lie if I was you lad." The man replied as if he knew what was happening and Dipper squirmed under his gaze.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He replied with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Oh, I think you do and you just won't admit it." The grin was back and the man slid his arm around Dipper's shoulders. "As a matter of fact, I bet you just stole a lot of stuff from the festival and are running from the feds." The man had an almost crazy look in his eyes now. Dipper sighed in defeat. "I could help ya if you want. Just gotta promise not to screw me over." The man offered his hand and Dipper looked at him like he was crazy.

'If I go with him I won't be caught. But if I do I might never be seen again' Dipper thought about his options before finally giving in. He grabbed the man's hand and shook without a second glance. The mans smile grew wider and he dragged Dipper over to a ship. "The name is Bill Cipher by the way. This.." he gestured to the ship "Is the Mindscape. She is your home and your life line. Treat her with respect and take care of her, if you don't, then you will be swimming with the fish." Bill yanked Dipper onto the deck and looked at his crew. "This is your family now, get used to them because you'll be with them for a while."

Dipper looked over the group of people on the deck. They were staring at him as if he was a piece of fresh fruit ready for the picking. With a sigh he looked at the captain with a look of utter defeat. 'what did I get myself into?' Then, before he could say anything his eyes met nothing but blackness. His body fell to the floor and he heard a laugh before everything went black. 'Shit'


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of water moving and the rocking motion of the ship had Bill smiling. He had just knocked out the kid he brought onto the ship. The other pirates were looking at him confused. "Don't just stand there you lousy bunch, get to work!" He yelled out. The first mate Wendy walked over to him with a smug look. "I see you've caught yourself another. What did he do?" She gestured to the boy. "Apparently he stole a lot of goods from the festival but got caught so he ran." He looked at the boy with a toothy grin. The first mate raised her eyebrow and smiled. "Well don't let 'im sit here! He'll get a cold you idiot of a captain." She laughed as Bills grin fell. "Don't worry we'll pack the rest of the supplies and get the ship moving before mornin." She rolls her eyes and walks back. With a huff Bill set to carry dipper back to the captains cabin. He lifted the boy into his arms and walked back to the cabin while dodging and maneuvering around various objects. Once inside the cabin he locks the door and sets the boy on the bed. "Welcome to your new home lad." He quickly covers the kid in blankets and and lays down beside him. Slowly he drifts to sleep to the sound of gentle snoring and the crashing of the waves outside.

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Dipper woke with a start at the sound of a door slamming and shouting. He groans at the feeling of a throbbing pain in his head. 'Where am I?' He thought as he sat up. He was in a room full of different objects, some that people would think were fake. Though dipper knew those objects were real, after all he'd seen them before and was all too familiar with mythical creatures. He saw the claws and teeth of what he assumed was a hell dog, and the fins of a mermaid. Vile creatures mermaids were. A disgrace and terrible at catching prey. Though they were his cousins in a sense, he himself was a half breed between a human and a siren. Of course he had never actually experienced his siren side but seeing his sister swim in the water with a tail and fins was enough. His mother had said he was just 'A late bloomer' and that it would happen in no time. But she had said that 8 years ago before she had died a week later. His father already having been dead meant he and his sister had to live with their great uncles Stan and Ford. To say they were the best family they had ever met was a lie. Stan was a swindler working in the black market and Ford did nothing but research on mythical creatures. He missed them but having done what he did he couldn't go back to them.

 

The sound of the door slamming open had made him jump and fall out of the bed. He hissed at the pain of hitting his head on the floor and the throbbing sensation of a headache. "Mornin sleepin' beauty!" The sound of a woman's voice filled the room and he looked up at said woman with a scowl. "Aw sorry did I scare ya?" She laughed and walked over to help him up. "The names Wendy by the way." She said as he was lifted back onto the bed. He raised his eyebrows as he examined her features. Bright red hair was pulled back into a braid and a bandana covered her forehead. Tattered clothing framed her body and chains of gold was littered everywhere. He cleared his throat before speaking. "So Wendy, where am I and why am I here?" The redhead grinned before replying. "You my friend are on the Mindscape. The only ship who can survive any and every threat of the sea. You are here because you asked our captain for help. So now you owe him, you will be going with us to various places till your debt is payed off. But first I'm going to give you a check up. So strip." 

 

Having listened to Wendy, Dipper started to make sense of everything that happened. 'Wait. Did she just tell me to strip?' His face paled and he frantically looked for a way out of this. "C'mon kid I've seen plenty of guys naked so just do it." She asked with an annoyed voice. Dipper looked directly at her and shook his head. "I don't think that's a very good idea. You see-" Before he could try to explain his shirt was ripped of to reveal many scars and tattoos. But the thing that stood out were the pale blue scales that covered his skin lightly in patches. He tried to cover himself as the woman stared in awe. "W-what are you?" She asked in wonder. Dipper looked down at the ground and sighed in defeat. 'Well I can't get out of this now.' With a groan he started to speak. "I'm a half breed between a human and a siren. We're kind of like a shape shifter, able to take form of what we need wherever we are. We can have legs if we need to walk on land, or we could have a tail and gills if we need to swim." He explained thoughtfully. Wendy stood up quickly and turned towards the door. "I need to tell the captain." She ran out the door and locked it before Dipper could protest. 'I just screwed up majorly'

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Seeing my first mate Wendy walking towards me put a smile on my face. Though it quickly turned to a frown when I saw how serious he was. "What? Was he bruised or his bones are broken?" I asked. She shook her head and pulled me away from the others to talk. "He's not human. Well he is but he isn't at the same time." She said clearly confused herself. "What do you mean he's human but isn't?" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "He says he's some sort of half breed between a siren and a human. For fucks sake he has random patches of fish scales on his body." Her eyes widened with realization. "If he's half sire doesn't that mean?" Then it dawned on me too. Sirens were known to kill and eat prey by luring them in by singing. As quickly as possible I ran back to the cabin and unlocked it. I slowly opened the door and found the kid looking at one of my maps. "Hey kid. What ya doin there?" The kid jumped at my voice and put the map down. He looked up at me with wide eyes like he was prey about to be eaten by a fearsome predator. "So, I've been told your half siren. Can you uh- sing?" The question had caught the kid off guard. "No, I c-can't sing. W-why d-" the kid looked about ready to pass out before he took a deep breath. "Why do you ask?" I sighed in relief and entered the room fully before closing the door. "Well ya'know. Stories of sirens luring sailors out to their death by singing." I sighed and slumped into the chair of my desk. 

 

I looked towards the kid when he started to chuckle. "What's so funny?" I asked annoyed. The boy looked up with a grin on his face, sharp teeth showing in the sunlight. 'How did I not notice those?' I tightened my grip on my chair and stared at those teeth. 'He could have ripped my throat out at any time. So why hasn't he?' I thought to myself. The boy looked down and frowned for a moment before looking back up. "The name is Dipper. Dipper Pines." With a grin I pulled him over. "Well 'Dipper' do you know why you're here?" I asked and the kid struggled to get out of my hold. "I'm here because I owe you a debt. And I would like it if you didn't touch me." I let go and the kid stumbled back onto the bed. "You better get used to that because I am very touchy." I stood with a grin and cracked my bones. "Now then, let's go meet the rest of the family." With a wink I dragged him out the door,

I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Copying and pasting is hard


	3. Chapter 3

Dippers pov

The captain dragged me to the deck of the ship with a grin on his face. ' _You can get through this dipper. Just stay on board till you enter the next port.'_ The sun glared in our eyes as we stepped outside. Looking around I noticed that the port was no longer there meaning we had already left. The captain maneuvered us to the quarterdeck and called attention to the crew. "Alright you lazy piles of shit! This here boy is our newest member Dipper Pines." He shouts into the crowd and into my ear. With a chuckle he turns me to a group of people. "Dipper these are the people in command under me. Wendy the first mate, Soos the second, Casper the medic, and Pyronica the navigator. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask." He points to each one then turns to me. "The rest you can ignore and avoid. As for now you will learn to tie the ropes." I looked at him unimpressed _'The ropes? Really? I can do those just fine.'_ I thought to myself.

I had learned when my great uncles invited me to go with me on their own ship. Of course I won't tell him that. With a sigh I nodded to the group of 'important' people. Then waved to the rest of the crew. "Well ok then let's get to work." After saying that Bill looked at me like I was crazy. "Really? No questions? No 'I can't believe I'm on a ship of pirate's'?" He asked. I just shrugged. "Well ok then! GET TO WORK!" He shouted out to the crew and they reluctantly moved back to their work space.

Wendy walked up and smiled but I could tell in her eyes that she was worried. I would be too if I found out there was a siren on the ship full of pirates. "Glad to know you'll be working with us." She held out her hand and She was shaking with fear. I started to laugh and took her hand in mine. "Well it's all right. I don't bite." I said as she calmed down. "Well not hard at least." She retracted her hand immediately. I started laughing harder. Bill just stood there with a shocked expression. With a smile and a turn of my heel I walked to the ropes and ties them with ease. _______________________________________________________________________________________________

Bills pov

My jaw dropped when the kid shook Wendy's hand. He just made her pull back with a face full of fear. He even laughed at her. I almost lost it when he tied the ropes, he did it so well it was almost like he was an expert. _'Who is this kid?'_ Wendy turned to me with an expression that I saw was worry. This kid could kill us at any time....but he won't do it. He is by far the strangest siren I have ever met. Well he's the only siren I've ever met. I've met mermaids and other creatures like them but I've never actually met a true siren. I turn to Wendy and giver her a nod to signify she could keep watch over him. I head back to the the navigator Pyronica.

"How long do you think it will be till we get to the port?" I ask. With a sigh and a shake of her head she says. "Well we won't be there for a couple of weeks but at the moment with how weak the gust is we might not make it as quick." I nod in understanding at the irritation in her voice. This is going to be a very long trip. With a huff I look over the crew and to Dipper. The kid had almost all of the ropes tied and pulled into place. He had a sad look in his eyes when he looked at the ocean. _'Why hasn't he tried to escape yet?'_ The question has been bugging me the whole morning. I decided to ask him later and made my way to the railing.

"You know I could push you over that and kill you right?" The voice of Dipper reached my ears an I opened my eyes. "And why would you do that pine tree?" I smiled when he stared at me confused. With a chuckle I pointed to the pine tree tattoo on his right shoulder. "Oh yeah. Oops I feel kinda dumb now." He said with a nervous laugh. "Well are you going to answer my question?" I ask in curiosity. We rolls his eyes as if I should have already known the answer. "I wouldn't but if I did it would be because I'm stuck on here for who knows how long, and to top it off you're a bunch of pirates." I laugh as he puffs his cheeks. "Hehe whatever kid. Why don't you go help Soos pull the ropes over there." I say as I wave him off. With a twitch of his eye he leaves me to do his work. _______________________________________________________________________________________________

I woke to the sound of music and singing. ' _When did I fall asleep?'_ I looked in confusion as the crew danced to the music. The kid was in the middle of a circle dancing with Wendy. ' _What the hell did I miss?_ ' Wendy stopped when she saw me awake and waved me over. I stood up of the floor and stumbled through the crew over to Wendy and the kid. Was he really even a kid? "What the hell is going on?" I ask her and she laughs. "Apparently the kid is so talented he did every ones work already. It got done before sundown so we decided to have a celebration." She smiles at the a blushing Dipper who looked like he was about to have a panic attack. I clasp a hand on his shoulder and he yelps. "Well good on ya Pine tree. Have you had the rum yet?" He shakes his head and I smile.

' _So innocent'_ I think to myself as I grab a bottle from a crate and put it I his hands. "Well then to commemorate you on getting shit done on this damn ship, drink as much as you like." I say with a hearty laugh. He looked at the bottle the shrugged as he downed the entire thing. Wendy and most of the crew stopped to stare. Each one of them looked in awe as the kid grabbed one bottle after the other and downed them. In the end he downed 7 bottles.

He seemed just fine with a smirk on his face. "What? I have really high alcohol tolerance. I'd have to drink at least four more before I'm even close to drunk." He smiled showing all his teeth. I never noticed till now that his teeth were as sharp as knoves. They were definitely the teeth of a predator. Each one ended in a point sharp enough to rip someone's throat out. "Red get the brand. He's part of this crew so he gets the mark of it." I say to my first mate without looking away. Dipper started to fidget and shake his head. "A m-mark? Why?" He asked in fear. "Because everyone on this ship is part of the crew. They all have my mark." I said as all the crew showed their marks.

"I promise it will only hurt for a little while." I say while two or the crew pin him to the ground and pull his shirt up. Wendy walked over with an almost sad look in her eyes. I watched as Dipper struggled to get free from the crew mates grasp. Soos had to leave so he didn't have to watch. He was always too sweet and caring to watch this happen. Wendy handed me the brand with a smile. I walked over quickly before the brand became too cold. "Hold still or this will hurt more than you want it." He stopped thrashing and looked up with pleading eyes. The crew was silent by now to hear what was going on. With a huff I held the brand right above his heart and pushed down. He cried out in pain screaming for me to ' _stop_ ' that it was _'too much_ '. I slowly pull the brand off to reveal my mark on his skin. I watched in astonishment as the skin quickly scarred over. I looked down at the boy. He was crying now, shivering in the cold night air. I crouched and ran a hand through his hair.

"I had hoped you were drunk by the time we did this but it seems you can't get drunk." He coughed and shook violently as I tried to calm him. "I'm heading to bed. Don't bother me." I say while picking the boy up. The crew dispersed as I walked to the cabin. He sighed into the warmth my body gave off and fell asleep. Strange how something so horrible can happen and he can just fall asleep. Opening the door I set him onto the bed and close it again. I crawl onto the bed beside him and cover is in blankets. "I'm sorry. So so sorry." I say as I slowly drift to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for posting late! Please forgive me.

It's not often that Dipper became worried for his life. He'd rather not die at sea on a ship that didn't even belong to him. It was two weeks since he woke up with a brand on his chest. The navigator Pyronica had entered the captain's cabin with a frantic look and a tattered map in her hands. "CAPTAIN WE HAVE A PROBLEM!" She yelled.  
Within seconds Bill was up and out the door leaving a very confused Dipper in his bed. Why was Dipper still in his bed? Well the crew was a curious bunch and then finding out he wasn't fully human would cause problems. And no one wants to deal with that.

After finding his boots and slipping them on Dipper climbed the stairs to the deck. Having not gotten used to the sun he had to cover his eyes. Maneuvering around the many crew members he followed the sound of a very angry sounding Bill. "What do you mean we're lost!? We've been on track for months!"  
Bill paced in circles for a few moments before looking to the map. "Where were we before we got lost?"  
"Uh well last I checked we were close to India. But looking around us I see none of the landmarks we normally pass." She says with a look of absolute terror.  
With a huff Dipper pushed Bill and looked over the map. Following the marks of where they were headed he backed with a sneer. Glancing at a confused Bill he rolled his eyes.  
"I know where we are and I know how to get where we're going. I've taken the route many times." He says while pointing to Pyronica. "Come here I'll show you."  
Without asked both Bill and Pyronica moved to look at the map. Dipper pointed the map with a clawed finger. Having been around Bill, Pyronica, and Wendy he found that they didn't mind but the rest of the crew would freak out.  
"According to the map and the direction of the wind I think we're going to far South. Wee need to head north and follow the Suez Route. It's the fastest way to get there and I'd rather not die of starvation if we can't find our way because someone doesn't know the sea routes."  
Dipper grit his teeth while starting the map. They were headed back to England. The one place he didn't want be.  
"You seem conflicted." Pyronica said. "Is there something wrong with the route that we need to worry about?"  
Dipper looked up and shook his head. "No, me and England just don't have a good history. I must you though. Don't get caught by a man named Tad Strange." With that he turned and left to help with thing the ropes. There crew having done a bad job had made him tie the ropes and teach them himself.  
"He is one strange kid." Says Pyronica while looking to Bill who had blanked out.  
Bill looked at the map again in thought. "Why England? What could he have done there to have a bad history?" Looking back to Dipper he took in his looks. Brown hair, strange eyes that seemed to glow and change color, sharp teeth, claws, scars, and toned muscles. The only thing that seemed off was his look of pure innocence. No could be innocent if they said that they had a bad history.  
"You have that look in your eye. Bill he's just a kid don't go trying to kill him." Pyronica says with a tone of annoyance.  
"I'm not gunna kill him. I'm just going to test something." He replies with a smirk.  
Slowly pulling his sword out of its scabbard he sneaks behind Dipper raises his sword before quickly slicing it down. Quicker than any normal human, Dipper grabbed the closest weapon and blocked the sword.  
"What the hell was that!?" Dipper shouts to Bill with a glare.  
Bill chuckled and did his sword back into its scabbard. "Now that is the look of a killer." He says pointing to Dipper. "You're a murderer aren't you? That's why you don't want to go back to England. So who was it? Someone important I suppose if you're afraid to go back."  
Dipper tensed before sighing and dropping the weapon to the floor. Laughing maniacally, he turns toward the side of the ship and leans over to look at the water. The whole crew had stopped working by now and watched as Dipper laughed.  
Calming down and running a hand through his hair, Dipper turned and smiled at Bill.  
"You're right I am a murderer. But I had my reasons and I don't plan telling you what they are." He frowns before walking away and glaring at the crew. They took it as a sign to get back to work before he gets upset. They learned quickly that he hated slackers and would hurt them if they didn't their jobs. He acted more like Wendy as she was the first mate and had to make sure they did their work.  
Work a roll of his eye, Bill followed Dipper back to the quarter deck and say on Thu nearest crate. "You'll tell me sooner or later. No one keeps secrets from me." He says smugly.  
Dipper flipped him off before saying "I've kept this secret for eight years. Not even of my family knows. So I will most definitely not tell you."  
"Oh you will. I have my ways of getting information I want." Bill says with a dark smile.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dinner time was different in more ways than one. Instead of dancing and singing everyone was staring at Dipper expecting him to say something. Dipper was slowly but surely trying to curl in on himself and make it look like wasn't there.  
"WHAT DO YOU WANT!?" He finally said when the staring grew more intense.  
The crew backed away like dogs who had just gotten trouble by their owners. They stayed silent till one piped up. Dipper want with names but he was sure this one's name was Silvin. The kid had been on the ship longer than than Dipper but still acted like a newbie.  
"Everyone wants to know your story. Why you wanted to run from England and who you murdered." Silvin said with ease.  
Dippers eye twitched and he shivers his knife into the table as Bill and the crew bursted out laughing. The rest of the crew went silent when Dipper slapped Bill across the face with tears in his eyes. Bill held his cheek while watching the tears stream down Dippers face.  
"You want to know I don't want to go back? Then get on my good side and I'll tell you. Until then you can just go fuck off you asshole!" Dipper said before running back up to the deck.  
Bill was angry but the shock of seeing the boy cry stopped him from doing anything. Blinking he stared to the crew who shook their heads and started eating again. Wendy and Pyronica looked at him with glares while Soos and Casper looked sadly at their plates.  
"I just fucked up any hope of befriending him didn't I?" He asked and the rest the crew nodded.  
Sighing he stood up and left. Having made the boy upset spoiled his appetite and couldn't eat anymore.  
Looking around the ship he couldn't find Dipper anywhere. The faint sound of humming came from the crows nest. He slowly started to climb up to the nest before the sound of water splashing and more humming sounded from the side of the ship. "What the hell?" He said before climbing back and looking over the side of the ship.  
He couldn't find the source of the humming till he saw the fin of a fish. Following the shadow in the water he found Dipper leaned over the side of the ship starting down sadly a girl. 'Wait a girl how is that possible? Unless.' Moving quickly to Dippers side he pulls him away.  
"What the are you doing!? Do you know what that is?" He asked frantically searching his for signs of injury.  
"Of course I know what that is! I'm half siren. Or have you forgotten?" He moves back over to the side of the ship.  
"Dipper wait! It might not know that your are!" Bill tried to pull him away saying but Dipper held onto the side.  
"Stop! She's my sister!" Dipper cried out as the Siren below clawed the side of the ship frantically to try and protect her brother.  
Bill stopped immediately and dropped Dipper in disbelief. Looking back over the edge her room in the features of the creature Dipper called his sister. Just like him she had brown hair, sharp teeth, and eyes that changed colors. The same look of innocence crossed her face along worry for her brother.  
Dipper sighed in relief as he watched both of them relax. "Bill, this is my sister Mabel. She's the reason we get so lucky catching fish. Mabel, this is captain cipher." He said while pointing to each them.  
Mabel growled at Bill before looking to her brother. "So he's the one who made you cry? Wow what a jerk. A hot jerk who I would totally date but a jerk none the less." She says while crossing her arms.  
"Mabel what the heck! Don't flirt with him!" Dipper says blushing while frantically waving his arms.  
Bill laughed and clasped his hand on Dippers shoulder. "Wow your sister is a real charmer" he says trying to calm down.  
Mabel smiled and chuckled at her brother as he looks between Bill and Mabel with a face that screamed 'what the hell is going on?'  
"Can I come up there now that captain knows who I am?" She asked giving a pleading smile.  
Bill looked down at her seriously "Do you promise not eat my crew members?" He questions.  
She quickly nods a yes and bill relaxes before grabbing a rope to pull her up. Dipper leaves while Bill pulls her up and over the edge of the ship.  
"Thanks for letting me board captain!" She smiles. "And thanks for taking care of my brother."  
Bill looks shocked at her honesty. Didn't she just say he was a jerk not too long ago?  
Dipper quickly came back with clothes from the closet in the cabin. Then he grabs Bill and turns around and away from Mabel. Bill have him a confused look before Dipper turned them again to reveal a now human girl dressed his clothes.  
A look of absolute awe covered his face as he circled around her before looking at Dipper.  
"Can you do that?" He asks while gesturing to Mabel.  
Dipper shakes he's head and looks down in shame.  
"Dippers never been able to do the stuff I can. Mom said he was just a late bloomer so I'm sure he'll be able to do it soon!" She says excitedly while wrapping and arm around Dippers shoulders. She yawns and rubs her eyes before turning to Bill and asking "you don't mind if I sleep here do you?"  
Bill smiles and offers her a hand they she gladly takes. The three of them make their way to an extra cabin next to Bill's. Immediately Mabel flops onto the bed and snuggles into a pillow.  
Dipper rolls his eyes and closes the door knowing that Mabel was already asleep.  
"She's a sweet girl." Bill says as they step into his cabin.  
Dipper smiled and sat on the bed. "She's very sweet and strong. Nothing gets to her."  
Bill frowned before sitting in his desk chair. "I'm sorry." He says closing his eyes.  
Dipper looked confused before remembering dinner. He wondered any of the crew saw them with Mabel and how they would react to her on the ship. "It's fine, but what are we going to do about Mabel? None of the crew knows she's here."  
Bill groaned and put his head his hands. "I forgot all about that." He mumbled sleepily.  
Dipper laughed and laid back on the bed. "Just go to sleep. We'll deal with it tomorrow I suppose." He says while scooting over and patting the empty spot on the bed.  
Bill happily moved over to the bed and later down. "I thought I was supposed to 'fuck off'." He says with air quotes.  
Dipper huffs and turns to his side and goes to sleep. Bill chuckles and turns to the opposite direction and closes his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All art is appreciated!  
> Comments and critiques are also appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is rushed like that.  
> So this story is going to be strange. There will be two versions. The Wattpad version of this story will be different from now on. The endings will also be completely different.

Giggles and squeals of delight were not a part of Bill’s morning routine. In fact happy sounds never woke him up. So when he awoke to the sight of a giggly Mabel leaning over him, he nearly jumped out of his own bed.

"Wh- What are you doing in here?" he asked, trying to compose himself and failing. In his attempt to look better he pushed his fingers through his hair.

"Oh I'm just enjoying the view of my brother’s captain," she replied truthfully with a big smile. Realizing that the space where Dipper normally slept was empty, he turned to Mabel with a questioning look. She shrugged and pointed to the door. "He went out there earlier."

Within seconds Bill was being dragged out of the room by an energetic Mabel. The sun was high in the sky and the crew was wide awake and working. Wendy was directing them to do whatever was needed, and Dipper was looking over the map with Pyronica.

"Have I really been asleep for that long?" he asked mostly to himself but Mabel answered him anyway.

"Yes sir you have. That's totally normal though! Normally when humans sleep very close to sirens they tend to be more tired than usual," she said with a toothy grin. Unlike Dipper’s straight pointed teeth, Mabel’s were more jagged and curved like hooks. She noticed the intense stare Bill gave her and started to laugh. "Don't you worry there big man, these babies are meant for eating sharks and other fish." She prods at one of the teeth and it comes out easily. In a swift motion it's on a necklace around Bill's neck.

Before Bill could ask any questions, Mabel ran off to Dipper. Pyronica welcomed her with a hug and a smile. Bill stared in awe as no one asked a thing. He had no idea what was going on and why no one had confronted him about this strange girl who magically appeared on the ship. Why? Why hadn't anybody said anything?

In long strides Bill quickly and quietly pulled Dipper away from Mabel and Pyronica who gave him strange looks.

"What the hell is going on?" Bill asked with a confused and scared look on his face.

Dipper sighed and shook his head. "You know the stories of sirens right?" Bill quickly nodded. "Well some sirens have special abilities that others can never get. Mabel and I have those abilities, though I have never used mine before. Anyway, her ability happens to be mind manipulation. She can change the memories and thoughts of anyone. So if you're wondering why no one cares, now you know."

Crazy was not a word that could describe the situation Bill was in. No, this was absolutely insane! Disbelief crossed Bill’s face for a second only to be replaced by rage. "YOU LET HER DO THAT!? Why the hell would you let her do that to my crew!" he yelled.

Dipper backed up little by little as Bill mumbled incoherent words. Then his back hit the railing of the ship and his breath hitched as Bill’s right hand raised. Absolute shock covered Dipper’s face as Bill smacked him. A red hand print formed on his cheek and tears of pain ran down his face.

Mabel made it to Dipper’s side in an instant. In a rage Mabel scratched Bill’s face with her sharp claws. That seemed to calm Bill down enough to realize what he had just done. In a panic he attempted to get closer to Dipper, but Dipper pushed him away. A look of anger and hatred crossed Dipper’s face.

"I'm leaving." Dipper said with venom in his voice. Mabel looked sadly at him and shook her head.

"How? You have no ship." Bill said confused. Mabel glared at him. Dipper began to laugh, causing the crew to stop working and stare at the scene. "I don't need a ship. I'm not a weak human like you." he replied with as much hatred as possible.

Dipper grabbed Mabel's hand and, with a salute to the rest of the crew, jumped over the railing and into the water. Mabel trailed behind with a wave and a toothy grin. Bill looked over the side of the ship with fear. Most of the crew had simply ignored everything as if it was just a normal day. The other members were glaring at Bill with a rage that seemed to shatter Bill into pieces.

"What have I done?" he asked Wendy. Wendy only shook her head and crossed her arms. They looked out over the blue ocean where Dipper had disappeared into. "I wonder, is this normal for you Dipper?" he asked to no one. Wendy looked at him sadly, then walked away with a huff. Dipper was gone, and there was only one thing left for Bill to do. Get him back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So from now on this will be mostly Dippers point of view. The will be chapters here and there with Bill but I've decided that what he's doing isn't quite as important right now.

Coldness and salty air were the worst things you could wake up to. Not only did Dipper wash up on the shore of some stupid island, he also didn't have any food. "Good job Dipper! You're cold, hungry, and lost."

That's right! Dipper Pines was lost on some random island in the middle of God knows where. Not only was he lost, his sister was missing and he was pretty sure that this island was on his 'don't go there' list. What did he do to get this kind of luck? How was he even alive? And why was there a bird staring at him? Dipper shivered as the bird looked at him with it’s black beady eyes. Where did the bird come from? Rustling from a couple of bushes startled both Dipper and the bird out of their staring contest. He looked over in curiosity. "what the hel- oH MY GOD MABEL YOU'RE HERE!" In a sudden wave of happiness and relief he bounced over and hugged her with all the strength he had left. Her giggles made him stop and look her dead in the eye. "Never speak of this to anyone," he said in a serious tone and she nodded reluctantly.

The smell of blood stirred Dipper from his thoughts and he looked for the source. Mabel coughed and grabbed his attention. In her right hand was a pheasant that had been freshly killed and cleaned. She laughed at the face of disgust he made. Knowing that his sister had literally pulled the guts and feathers off an animal made him want to puke. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand. They walked deep into the forest before making it to a camp site. The strange thing was, that it seemed to have been built over a large amount of time.

"Uh Mabel, when did you find this camp?" Dipper asked with a hint of confusion. She stopped stoking the fire and looked at him with a grin. "I built it!" she said with glee. "You were asleep for five days so I decided I would build a camp and wait for you to wake up. Of course it took some time to get the wood and stuff, but I got it! Then I made the fire pit and laid down some leaves and vines to make a roof. Then I used some rope I stole from the ship to make this cool hammock." she rambled on and on until something in his brain finally clicked.

"I'VE BEEN ASLEEP FOR FIVE DAYS?" he yelled, cutting her off abruptly.

As if she could read every thought going through his head, she said "You have no memory of what happened do you? Dipper, you finally transformed. We swam all the way down here. It's been two weeks since we jumped off the ship. Then when you passed out on the shore I just figured it was you being exhausted from swimming. I didn't think you would forget everything that happened."

Nothing but the sound of crackling fire could be heard for minutes as he tried to comprehend what she had just said. Dipper tried to remember anything that she had told him, but nothing came. For the second time in all of his life, he had no memory of something important. Emotions flashed in his eyes. The colours changed from brown to red and green then settled down to a grey-blue. Sadness was all he felt at that moment and Mabel was trying desperately to lighten the mood. She started to make jokes and do cool tricks with her body and magic. After a while she finally stopped and sat down next to the fire where the pheasant slowly cooked. 

"Dipper, you're never gonna guess where we're going tomorrow," she said and he quietly acknowledged her. "We're gonna see Grunkle Stan and Ford." She smiled weakly at him. Dipper smiled back and chuckled as his stomach growled. In an instant the cooked bird was on a leaf in front of him. Instinct kicked in and he was devouring chunks of meat without chewing. Mabel watched with a look of disgust as he shoveled the food into his mouth and swallow.

 

Time seemed to speed up as Dipper let go of his thoughts and explored with Mabel. It was crazy how fast the sun went down. By the time they made it back to the camp, the sky was nothing but bright stars in a big pool of black nothingness. Laying down next to the fire Mabel slowly drifted off to sleep. Dipper knew sleep wouldn't come for him since he had slept for so long, but he laid down too and gazed at the stars. He would finally be going home tomorrow, so he’d better make the best of it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished chapter 7! The story is officially starting again. Sorry for the long wait, I had to properly understand the story and get a feel for the story line. But I have already said something similar in the author's note a while back, right? Anyway, it's done, it's updated, and I'll start on the next chapter right away. Enjoy.  
> \- Aracney

Bill paced the upper deck, his shoes clicking against the wooden floor. They had been following the twins for almost two weeks now and there was still no sign of anything remotely human. Even land was hard to come by. Pyronica had been buried in maps since day one, constantly yelling at the poor lad in the crow's nest. Bill himself wasn’t faring much better. He had been irritated in the beginning, which was pretty normal, but it had slowly grown into something deeper, more dangerous, especially for the crew. One night Soos had tried to get Bill to join a small party after dinner. One glare had him running out of the cabin and hide under deck for the rest of the evening. Bill almost felt bad, but he was too angry to really care. He received angry glares from Wendy all of the next day. 

“Captain.” Bill growled, spinning around to yell at whoever dared to interrupt his brewing thoughts. Red hair and an angry scowl had him sighing instead. Great, Red was back to yell at him.

“Yes Red? What is it?” His hands kept moving, the restlessness making his whole body twitchy.

“Pyronica wants a word with you.” Wendy’s clipped tone almost surprised him. He would deal with that later, when everything wasn’t so confusing.

“Fine, where is she?” She crossed her arms, a stern look on her face. Bill groaned. “What?!”.

“Soos is hiding under deck again.” A weight settled in his stomach, the scowl almost dropping from his face. The big baby was still hiding? He really couldn’t deal with that right now.

“I know, I know, I’ll talk with him later. Just-” Bill made a circling gesture with his hand. Wendy huffed and walked down to the main deck, not even a simple acknowledgement to his promise. They both knew it was an empty promise anyway. Bill sighed again and pulled his sword out of his belt. Damn kid, damn Red, damn emotions! A high-pitched scream rang out in the air as he sliced the top half of his chair clean off. The crew paused in shock. All eyes rested on the cut half. That was certainly something their captain hadn’t done before. He quite liked the chair. Bill himself stared at the chair for two seconds before he flung the sword through the air. It embedded itself in the main mast, shaking from the force. Poor Silvin had to jump out of the way to avoid a new haircut. Silence hung heavily over the ship. Bill hissed at the crew and stalked down the stairs to his cabin. Someone pulled the sword out and placed it just outside the door, not daring to actually disturb their captain right away. Even Pyronica peered from the crow’s nest, suddenly not wanting to discuss their current course anymore. Maybe she could try again in a few hours. They certainly weren’t going anywhere.

  
  
  


Dipper woke up with a groan. His head throbbed and sand stuck to every patch of exposed skin. He felt itchy and hungry. He rolled to the side, expecting to see Mabel drooling beside him. His arm felt cold as it laid bare at his side. Had she gone for food again? Dipper cringed at the thought of seeing her pluck another bird. He stood up, rolling his stiff shoulders and moving towards the treeline again. The idea of sleeping on the beach seemed fine the night before, but now he wished they had stayed hidden inside the forest, and maybe found some soft leaves to make a bed out of or something. 

“Mabel? Where are you?” he called into the forest. A few birds squawked above him, startled from their sleep by the sudden noise. Apparently not all birds were early risers. Dipper snorted. That was something Mabel easily could have joked about. Speaking of- “Mabel! Come on, where are you?” A rustle of leaves behind him alerted Dipper, but he moved too late. Mabel jumped him from behind, tackling Dipper with a cry to the ground as she screamed in delight. Dipper groaned as he hit the ground, his sore shoulders protesting the harsh treatment.

“I win!” Mabel was all smiles and giggles as she booped his nose. Dipper bared his teeth, instinct kicking in as he surged up to tackle her back. She hissed back, jagged teeth aiming for his throat. They clashed together, foreheads touching as they wrestled. Dipper pulled his right arm between them, removing the support Mabel held herself up with. She squealed as they tumbled to the side, kicking at Dipper’s stomach as he sat on her legs, claws out and reaching for her throat. Mabel pulled him over her head, his back again hitting the ground full force. They laid opposite each other, both panting for breath after the fight.

“Seriously Mabel?” Dipper moaned from the ground. “Did you really have to do that? And from the morning too!”

“I missed it! Don’t tell me it wasn’t fun.” Her pout could make the toughest sailor weak. Dipper sighed and sat up, flicking her hair over her face. She flailed, spitting strands of sandy hair out of her mouth. “Ew Dipper, why?”

“Because I missed it,” he mocked, copying her lighter voice too good for his own liking. Luckily it didn’t crack. She blew a raspberry at him, a smile tugging at her lips. He drew back, feigning disgust by the spit escaping her mouth. “You’re a dork.”

“You’re a nerd.” They both cracked, deep laughter echoing on the small island.

“But seriously, I’m hungry. Can we eat?”

  
  
  


After a quick but delicious breakfast Dipper and Mabel stood by the ocean, eyes scanning the vast horizon for any sign of life. Dipper’s stomach churned with nerves, his shaking hands fiddled with the hem of his shirt. 

“You know Dipper. We can swim whenever you feel ready. I’m sure grunkle Ford doesn’t mind waiting a bit.” Her voice was so gentle, it only tied the knots in his stomach tighter. What would his great-uncle say? What would he do? Did he know? Did Mabel? He sat down and dug his feet down in the warm sand, hoping beyond hope he could simply disappear with them.

“I can’t Mabel.” He hated his voice for sounding so small. He had been through worse. Lots of people had hunted him through his life. Hated him for stealing their stuff or breaking their property in his mad runs for freedom. But this was different. This was Mabel, his twin and other half. He had never kept any secrets from her, never lied. And now, after 8 years of running, they were finally together again, but everything seemed off. Wrong.

“Sure you can!” Her cheerful tone was back, fake and broken as her smile. She had to know. Why else would she look at him like that. “You shifted when we left the ship. Of course you can do it again!” Apparently he did shift, he just couldn’t remember it. Everything seemed like a blur in his mind. A foggy haze. Like that time.

“Don’t you see Mabel? I can’t! I don’t remember shifting, or swimming for days, or anything! I lost two weeks of my life because of my stupid powers I can’t even control! Why couldn’t I just have been born normal?” His voice broke at the end, head turned away to hide the moisture in his eyes. He couldn’t possibly be that pathetic, right? His question was answered as a single tear slid down his cheek. Yes, he could. A hand squeezed his shoulder. Mabel’s hair tickled his neck as she hugged him from behind.

“Okay. We’ll find another way. We just have to come up with a brilliant idea!” Her jagged teeth scraped his skin as she smiled and nuzzled his cheek. Dipper chuckled and pushed her away.

“Okay, okay, just stop! You’ll end up ripping something!” They laughed together before Mabel jumped up, knocking Dipper on his back with a groan. Again.

“I got it!”

“What?” Dipper rubbed his back as he stared at her beaming face.

“We’ll build a raft!”

Dipper stared at her for several seconds. “A raft?”

“Yes dummy! A raft. I can pull you along while you just lay back and enjoy the weather. It’s perfect!” Dipper considered her idea. It could work, they just had to somehow built the damn thing, then it should be easy. Mabel was strong enough to pull him without slowing down too much. It wouldn’t be hard. He looked up to confirm her idea, but the words died in his throat as he saw Mabel had already disappeared into the forest again. Bird shrieked in the distance, clearly telling where his energetic sister was currently trying to built a raft. Somehow. Well, he couldn’t let her do all the work, right? With a warm chuckle Dipper followed his sister into the forest, hoping to finish the raft before nightfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope it's not too bad. Suggestions, criticism and feedback are welcomed, any questions shall hopefully be answered. The previous chapter's will be updated soon will minor edits in grammar.


	8. Chapter 8

The room was cold and dark. No windows allowed any sunlight inside, making it near impossible to tell what time of day it was. Only the lantern hanging outside of the cell lit the room and hallway in a dim glow. A constant layer of moisture kept the room clammy and stuffy, yet it was impossible to generate any sort of heat. A lonely figure laid on the floor. His hair was a mess, small cuts littered his face and exposed arms, and torn clothes covered his shaking form. Had he not been silently sleeping, one would have thought he was crying. Echoes of steps woke the man, his brown eyes watching the hallway through broken glasses. He slowly moved back, hand gathering the loose chain between his left foot and the wall. The room wasn’t big, but they couldn’t reach him if he stood by the far wall away from the cell door, not even a sword or a stick could hit him. An old bruise throbbed in his right side. If he was lucky, none of his ribs would be broken but simply bruised. That would heal fine by itself. The steps grew louder, a thrill whistling penetrating the deafening silence. He sagged a bit against the wall, a sigh of relief escaping his dry lips. Only the soldiers whistled when they approached his room. Had it already been a whole day? A young man came to a stop in from of his cell, calloused fingers holding a plate and a cup. He pushed both through the bars and placed them rather harshly on the floor. Water sloshed over the top at the impact. 

“Dinner.” With a bored expression the soldier turned around and left without another word. He waited until the whistling stopped again before moving away from the wall. In two long strides he kneeled before the serving and gulped half the water down first. It soothed his dry throat and chapped lips. The rest was saved for later, cup carefully placed in the far corner from the door, up against the wall for extra support. The plate contained a small piece of dried meat and a loaf of bread the size of his closed hand. Not much, but he didn’t need a lot. The meat was eaten first, knowing it would be digested slowly in his empty stomach compared to the soft bread. He splitted it in two and hid half in a pocket under his coat. The rest he dipped in the water and nibbled on until it was gone. There was still a quarter of the water left. He moved to the other corner of the room away from the door to avoid knocking the cup over in his sleep. The sound of metal hitting metal brought his attention back to the door. His eyes widened in horror as he realized he hadn’t heard the visitor arrive. Only one man in this hellhole could sneak up on him.

“Admiral,” he growled out, hands clenching at his sides. The man stood in front of the lantern, effectively shielding his face in shadows. Though he didn’t need to. His face was forever burned into his mind.

“Professor. Good to see you up and about again. You are getting better each day.” The Admiral’s tone was light, mocking, the politeness made him sick to his stomach.

“No thanks to you.” His voice shook with anger. “You’ll never catch him, even I couldn’t if I wanted to. Just give up already. You have no real reason to hold me here. Even  _ you _ can’t get away with this forever.”

“But that’s the thing professor, isn’t it? You  _ have _ to, even if you don’t want to. I gave you time because you said you had a plan. That he would come home on his own, but nothing has happened yet. None of my men have seen them anywhere! The longer we have to spend chasing him, the longer  _ he _ will suffer.”

“You fucker!” He lunged at the door, hands barely reaching past the bars. Too far away from the man’s throat. “You leave him out of this! I’m already here and helping you, what more do you want?” A deep chuckle echoed between the walls.

“But that’s just the thing. You are only cooperating  _ because _ of him. So, in a sense, isn’t it  _ your _ fault he is suffering? Because you can’t get the boy home quickly enough? The one closest to you is suffering as we speak, men doing God knows what to him. Do you want to hear?” His face paled at the man’s words. Each word a jap to his very soul.

“No, please don’t. Please stop it!”

“It’s a shame really. I had higher hopes for you. Oh well, we’ll see how it plays out. I can be  _ very _ patient. Enjoy your night professor.” He left the hallway with a wave, not even looking back at the hurting figure in the dark.  _ Your fault _ . He huddled closer in the cold, hands fisting in his hair to block out the screams from his memory. His fault. All his fault.

 

The sun stood high in the sky by the time Dipper and Mabel finished the raft. It was a rather small square, tied together with thread Mabel hid God knows where, and Dipper didn’t feel like asking, and consisting of thick tree trunks. What seemed like an impossible task had quickly turned around as Mabel attacked the nearest tree with her teeth. As luck would have it they all came loose and Mabel quickly tied them to a thick branch and made a makeshift saw. Something Dipper had honestly never thought was possible, but then again, her teeth could terrify the bravest of sailors in seconds and chew through the wood on ships. Just not trunks the size of her waist apparently. But, the saw worked surprisingly well and they quickly had enough for a raft. Dipper couldn’t lay outstretched on the raft, but curling his legs a bit and bending his back gave enough room to not be uncomfortable. He preferred to sleep like that anyway, curled up and taking up as little space as possible. 

Now, he was sitting on the raft, knees tucked under his chin and arms tightly around his legs. Mabel swam ahead of him, pulling the vine they had tied to the raft. She held a good speed considering the extra weight she had to pull along. The sun had been high in the sky by the time they left the island, stomachs full of grilled bird and determination to reach land as fast as possible. That was hours ago now and Dipper was growing restless. Mabel hadn’t complained about fatigue once, but Dipper knew she sooner or later would grow tired and have to rest for the night, if they wanted to continue at the same speed tomorrow.

“Hey Mabel? Wanna stop for the night soon? It’s getting late and you’ve been swimming for quite a while now.” He tried to sound cheerful, as if he wasn’t terrified of being trapped in the ocean with his only escape being transforming and possibly losing consciousness again.

“What? Hold on.” She slowed down enough to soften the splashes her tail made from swimming above the waves. She rolled onto her back, facing Dipper with a jagged smile as she kept a slow pace for conversation. “What’s up?”

Dipper shrank back, suddenly feeling the weight of asking his sister to do all the work. And now  _ he _ was the one to suggest a break, even though he hadn’t done a thing! She had such a caring smile, even now, after hours of restless swimming. He felt awful, really, but he didn’t dare try and transform again. The thought was too scary. “I just suggested we stopped for the day. You know, to rest, maybe catch a fish or two for dinner. I don’t know.” He trailed off, not really sure what to say. Mabel would be the one to catch the fish too, which didn’t exactly count as rest. He mentally slapped himself, vowing to do just that next time she wasn’t looking at him like that. Like he was the most caring brother in the world.

“That’s a great idea! I was starting to get hungry anyway. Be right back!” With that she dove under the waves and left Dipper alone with his thoughts. He almost regretted suggesting it, the silence was already uncomfortable, even when she appeared just five minutes later, stopping the onslaught of thoughts he feared would drown him before she returned.

“That was amazingly fast. What did you do?”

“I’m just that good.” She winked and threw one of the fish at Dipper. He barely caught it before it could smack him in the face. “Eat up!”

They ate in comfortable silence, Dipper fought with his raw fish, trying desperately to imagine it being cooked. It didn’t make him sick, since he wasn’t quite human, but it still tasted as bad as humans thought. Mabel seemed to devour hers with great vigor, even going as far as to gnaw on the skull after she finished. Dipper decided to leave the rest. He would survive with less food than her anyway, since he wasn’t really moving about as she did.

“So, where did Ford tell you to meet him and Stan?” Dipper pushed his fish back in the ocean as he asked, washing his hands afterwards. Mabel placed the skull on the raft beside Dipper’s feet, much to his dismay, and tapped her cheek.

“If I remember correctly, it was either somewhere in England, Africa or India, depending on where I found you.” Dipper paled at her words.

“That’s way too vague! How are we supposed to find them?”

“Relax Dipper.” She patted his knee in comfort, tracing the eyehole on the skull with her other hand. “I just need to know which country we are in when we reach shore again, and I’ll know where to go! Don’t you worry little brother, big sis got you!”

“Mabel, we are twins,” he deadpanned.

“Yeah, but I came out first. That makes me the oldest!” She stuck out her tongue and grinned. Dipper snorted and pushed her down under the water. She came back up and spat the salt water from her mouth in his face.

“Ew Mabel! Not the salt water!” Dipper squeaked, manly mind you, as Mabel grabbed his leg and tried to pull him down in the water. He fought back, pulling her halfway up on the raft and almost falling backwards into the water anyway. “Okay, tie, tie!” Dipper laid down on the raft, legs bend towards the sky to avoid getting wet feet. Mabel rested her arms on the raft beside his head. “I’m sorry.”

“What?” She looked down at him, eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. “Why are you apologizing?”

“Because I’m making you do all the work! I can’t even help you, or swim beside you. I’m useless. Why can’t you just go meet Ford and I’ll find somewhere to hide. You don’t need me anyway.”

“Dipper.” Her tone was hard, eyes blazing with anger as she hoisted herself up beside him. “You are not useless and you are not running away from us again. Never. It’s been eight years. I know it’s been hard on you, but don’t forget about us. We missed you. A lot. And now that I’ve found you, I’m not letting you disappear again. You never came back that day, and I never forgot it. Don’t do this. To any of us.” At her last words, she broke down, the welling tears finally overflowing and streaming down her face. Dipper flinched, physically hurt by his sister’s breakdown. He hadn’t meant to hurt them, he just had to run. It wasn’t safe for any of them that he stayed. They were better off without him. Maybe they really didn’t know. Why else would they want to get him back home? That was almost worse than them knowing and despising him for it.

“Mabel, shh, it’s okay, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that, please don’t cry.” He pulled her closer, threading his fingers through her wet hair. It smelled of salt but he didn’t care. A warm spot grew where her face was currently buried in his shirt. “It’s okay, I’m sorry. I just want to help you, not sit around and let you do all the work, I’m sorry I said that.” A shaking hand came up to give him a weak punch against his cheek. A broken laugh escaped him before pulling the hand down to his chest to hold it over his heart.

He was soaked by the time Mabel pulled back and wiped at her eyes. They were puffy and red, but seemed to finally dry out from the lack of tears. Dipper gave her a weak smile and squeezed her hand. She smiled back and hit his shoulder, both laughing at the weak punch.

“So, awkward sibling hug over?” Mabel snorted and scratched her eyes.

“Yeah, awkward sibling hug over. Nerd.”

“Dork.”

“But really, I don’t mind doing all the work right now, you did the same when we left the ship, though I guess you probably can’t remember.” She looked thoughtful at that. “I never told you, did I?”

Dipper stared at her in disbelief. “No? You didn’t? What happened?”

“It was quite scary, really, you kept swimming for hours, not even stopping to rest or eat. You even carried me a few times when I grew too tired and wanted to rest. I tried to talk to you a few times, but you just stayed silent, only glancing at me from time to time. It was almost creepy, but I just thought you were still angry at Bill and didn’t want to talk, so I didn’t press you. Though, after I stopped you once and you hissed at me, I decided to leave you-”

“I hissed at you! Why didn’t you say so? Oh god, I didn’t hurt you, right? My god, I am so sorry Mabel, I didn’t-”

“Hush.” She slapped a hand over his mouth, tail flicking behind her in the water. “You didn’t know, and you didn’t hurt me. It’s fine, no grudge, no anger, we are both okay, now stop freaking out, you’ll faint or something from the rush of blood.” She smirked and flicked his nose before retreating back into the water again. “Now shush, I’m tired. See you tomorrow Dipdop!” With that she disappeared beneath the waves. Dipper sighed and leaned back, watching the sky slowly turn to a pale pink, puffy clouds shining in gold from the setting sun. He had followed along with Mabel, not left her behind or attacked her. That was good. Great, actually. Though he didn’t like the fact he had hissed at her. All the more reason to keep away from the water. If he just never swam again, he could pretend he wasn’t half siren at all, and just live like a normal human being. He would be stronger than them, but he could pretend to be weaker. He was good at that. It could work. He could stay with his family again. They just had to move. Far away from England. Maybe to Japan. It had been nice while he stayed there. Or maybe France. Though that was a bit too close to England for comfort. It didn’t matter now. He could plan another day. Now, it was time to rest. They had a long day ahead of them tomorrow.

 

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Two weeks, and  _ nothing _ . Bill was fuming. Pyronica had tried her best to cheer him up, pointing out various small islands between themselves and India. They were currently headed that way, hoping the twins had headed north in hope of finding dry land. The crew kept to their work, even Red had given up on getting him back outside after his outburst a few days back. He had been cooked up in his quarter ever since. Had he really gone too far? Yeah, he slapped the kid, sure, but he thought the girl had messed with his crew. He just didn’t get a chance to explain himself. The kid had hit him too,  _ he _ didn’t get all upset and jump overboard. He growled in frustration. The kid would never listen to him again. No,  _ Dipper _ wouldn’t listen to him again. 

“Fuck. You’ve really done it this time Cipher.”

“You can say that.” Bill’s head snapped up. Red leaned against the door frame, looking far too pleased with herself.

“Red.” He growled and stood up from where he was splayed across his desk. “What do I own the unwanted annoyance of your presence?”

She pushed herself off the frame, heavy boots echoing as she approached him. “You’ve been cooked up in here for days. You need to get out, the crew is growing restless. A ship without a captain is a shitty one, and you know it. For God’s sake Cipher, you are acting like a child! Get yourself together and-” A hand clamped around her throat, squeezing just enough to shut her up.

“I would be very careful with what I said if I was you. I am  _ not _ in the mood for your lectures right now Red. I’m still the captain here, and I want  _ respect _ . Got it?” Her eyes were wide open, mouth agape in shock as she stared him in the eye. If his eye could burn, she would be a smoking crisp on the ground. A weak ‘yes’ escaped her lips before he released her and watched her body crumple to the floor. She coughed, heaving in big gulps of air as she rubbed her throat.

“Yes,  _ Captain _ . I’ll leave you alone.” She walked back out of the door, purple marks just visible between the strands of red hair. Maybe he went too far again. Damnit Cipher, no time to grow soft! He threw a fist at the door frame, knuckles popping from the force. He hissed and kicked it instead, relying on the thick leather boots to take the damage. It worked better, though his knee still protested. A few crew members looked up at the swearing. They quickly averted their eyes after noting their captain’s foul mood.

“Captain! To the bow!” Pyronica yelled from the crow’s nest. Bill looked from his pointing navigator to the front of the ship. People gathered in excitement. Hopefully whatever she had seen would please their captain enough to stop his outbursts. Bill pushed himself through the crowd. Before them a small island appeared on the horizon. The sand shone in the sun. Bill’s eyes crinkled as a smile appeared on his face. It grew bigger as they neared the small piece of land. Not even close enough to walk through the water, Bill’s impatience got the best of him and drove him down into one of the boats tied to the side of the ship. He slashed the rope holding it up with his sword and fell down hard on the water.

“Well come on! What are you waiting for, an invitation? Get down here!” The crew looked around, shrugged, and jumped into the remaining boats. Pyronica grabbed a rope and swung down into Bill’s boat, grinning as she went. Bill grinned back, handing her an ore before setting to row himself. They reached the shore quickly. Pyronica was out of breath after having fought to keep up with Bill’s long strides. He rushed through the underbrush, searching for any signs of life on the small island. A campsite came into view, Bill almost laughed in relief. They were here! They had to be! He stopped in the middle. It was empty, the fireplace cold and free of ash. Old. Were they too late? Bill almost couldn’t believe it. He was so close!

“Captain! Come look!” Bill turned in the direction of the voice. Pyronica, Red and Casper stood by a cut stump, tracks in the ground indicating someone had pulled logs around.

“Is it them?” Bill couldn’t hide the small hope in his voice. Luckily the others didn’t notice or just chose to ignore it.

“Judging by the teeth mark around the cut, I believe someone tried to bite into the tree before giving up and simply cutting it down.” Casper’s voice was quiet, all three pirates looking at him in surprise. That was the longest sentence they had heard from him in months.

“Biting? Only a monster could leave such a mark” Red wondered out loud. Bill instinctively grabbed the tooth around his neck. He hadn’t removed it since she gave it to him.

“Not any monster.” He removed the necklace and pushed the tooth into one of the dents. A perfect match. “A siren apparently.” The three stared at the tooth in shock.

“So, they really were here? Did they leave again?” Red ran a thumb over the marks. Pyronica pulled a map out of her pocket.

“If they left, which it looks like, I bet they continued north to India. We should be able to reach it by late evening tomorrow,  _ if _ we hurry back and sail above normal speed the whole way. The crew will be tired, but we can take shifts. It should be possible. I don’t know how quick the twins are, or when they left, but we could be lucky and catch up to them, or they will already be gone by the time we reach India. What do you think captain?” The crew looked at Bill, all awaiting his decision. A wide grin had spread on his face as Pyronica spoke. It was a plan. The twins had been here, probably not long, but long enough to build a camp and, apparently, a raft too. He would search the whole world if he had to. He wouldn’t let Dipper disappear like that. The kid owed him. And Bill owed him. Bill Cipher never owed anyone anything. He had to find him.

“Set sail. We go as the crows fly. To India!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And finished chapter 8. Hope it didn't take too long. Suggestions, criticism and feedback are welcomed, any questions shall hopefully be answered.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that took forever. I'm sorry about that, but school is over, and I'm officially free. Hopefully, it will be easier to update now.

They arrived in the late evening, both exhausted mentally from the long journey. Dipper pulled the raft on shore, careful to keep everything above his knees dry. Mabel flopped onto the beach beside him, all grace abandoned fit drying off. She shook her head like a dog, causing saltwater to fly in every which direction. Dipper covered his face, a groan hiding his chuckles at his sister's antics.

"Mabel, come on! Really?"

She stuck her tongue out and rolled onto her back. "Dippeeeer."

"Yes?"

"Carry me."

Dipper gave her an unimpressed look and took a step back. "You're going to pull me into the water, right?"

Mabel gave her best innocent look and flopped onto her belly again. "Nooo?"

"Don't answer my question with another question."

"Dippeeeer, please?"

"No."

She huffed and pulled herself closer to the edge of the sand, where Dipper had retreated as they spoke. "Dipper, don't leave me."

"I'm not, I'm simply keeping my distance."

"How cruel!" She threw herself down on the ground, arms covering her shaking form. Dipper sighed and crossed his arms. He wouldn't fall for it. He wouldn't. He... Was she really crying? He took a step closer, stretching his neck towards his shaking sister.

"Mabel? Come on, don't play around. We have to find Ford, remember? Mabel?"

Another step and Mabel jumped at him. With a shriek (Mabel would tease him later for that) he went crashing down onto the sand, his sister landing heavily on his chest.

"Gotcha!" She yelled in triumph. Dipper groaned and covered his face with his hands.

"Mabel, I really have to leave you for a while."

"Why?" You could almost hear the shards falling to the ground in her chest.

"Because you need clothes when you transform. We kind of forgot them on the island."

"Oh... Oh my god." Dipper looked down at his sister in surprise. "We forgot my clothes." A smile broke out on her face, tears gathering in her eyes as she cackled. "We forgot my clothes!" Dipper couldn't help himself. He broke down laughing, heaving big gulps of air whenever he could, but unable to stop himself as Mabel shook on top of him.

As the laughter finally died down Mabel rolled off Dipper's chest. "What should we do?" She fiddled with a damp lock as she looked at him.

"As I said, I have to go into town and get something for you to wear. You can't walk around in my shirt alone."

Mabel made a face at the mental image. "No, that would be a bit embarrassing."

"I'm thinking you should hide in the water, away from shore, until tomorrow morning. By then I should hopefully have found something useful. If not, then come back again by noon. Deal?"

"Are you gonna be okay on your own?"

"Mabel, I've been..." The rest died in his throat. He couldn't exactly tell her he had been fine on his own without his sister's help throughout the years. She didn't take it too well the last time he reminded her of his disappearance. "I'll be fine, don't worry. I'm a strong man now." As a proof, he flexed his arms, something that always made her laugh when they were younger. But now, she only seemed to deflate, her eyes drooping as she pulled herself back to the water.

"Yeah, you are. See you tomorrow." With that, she ducked under the water and disappeared in the waves. Dipper stood by the shore, half of his mind screaming at him to follow her, that he had fucked up, again. The other, more rational part told him to follow the plan. Get clothes, meet up with Mabel, find Ford, and hopefully, move somewhere far away with his family.

  


It took Dipper most of the night to find something for Mabel to wear, only because the small town was booming with music and drunk people. Not one room had been empty and easy to search through. Most people would have thought it easy to steal from drunkards, but they were seriously the worst.

At least three women and two men had grabbed after Dipper, trying to pull him along to God knows where. It had taken all his willpower to stay in town and search for clothes instead of running back to Mabel with his figurative tail between his legs.

This was why humans were so disgusting, and even though Dipper hated his siren half, he couldn't help but be grateful he was unable to become as drunk as them without a serious effort.

He returned to the beach in the early morning, eyes drooping and feet dragging from exhaustion. As he arrived and noticed the lack of a certain hyperactive siren, he plopped down on the soft sand and placed the clothes behind him. He was just far enough away from the water for the clothes and himself to stay dry, but close enough to make it fairly easy for Mabel to reach the clothes, should she arrive before he woke up again. With that last thought in mind, he tipped over and closed his eyes, embracing the soft glow from the rising sun as he drifted off.

What felt like mere minutes passed before a shadow covered his face, disturbing the serenity the waves had created in his mind. He cracked an eye open, noticing the dripping brown hair framing a smiling face before closing it again and pointing to the clothes at his head.

"Take your time changing, I'll stay right here," he mumbled sleepily.

"'Kay Bro-Bro, thank you!"

Dipper shifted, arms coming up to rest under his head as he waited for his sister to call for him again. He had almost fallen back to sleep when she poked his face.

"Wake up Dipstick. I'm ready, let's go!"

Dipper groaned and rolled over, rising to his feet and dusting lingering sand off of his clothes. Mabel spun around, probably to show off her clothes and waiting for his approval. He wouldn't really say anything negative about the clothes anyway, having fought numerous drunkards for the damn pieces of fabric. The white shirt fit well enough, and Mabel's never ending supplies of thread held the loose pants up.

"Looks great. Where are we meeting Ford?"

"Dunno where it is, but he showed me the place on a map once."

Dipper stared at her dumbfounded, his mouth slightly ajar.

"Pfft, you should see your face!" Mabel's cackles rang in his ears as he rubbed his temples.

"So, you have no idea where we have to go?" His head was beginning to hurt.

"Relax Dip Dop, I've got it all under control. We don't know where we are right now, _so_ , we just have to get a map and find out! I can point out the location on a map, we just have to find one."

Mabel jumped two steps away from Dipper, smiled and flicked some seaweed at his face.

"Mabel, come on!" His grin revealed the humour underneath his cry, causing Mabel to squeal in delight as Dipper rubbed his face clean and chased her from the beach through the undergrowth and right to the edge of the small town he had visited the night before. Dipper snatched her arm right before she passed the first house and pulled her back behind him.

"Mabel, we can't draw too much attention to ourselves. We have to be careful. We get the map, and get out again, okay?" His eyes sharpened, all humour had left in favour of the worrisome brother she knew too well.

"I know, I know, don't worry. I can be invisible." She smiled and bit her tongue, hiding the frown she usually gave his worrisome antics. They couldn't fight now, not with a mission and a plan to complete. Later, she could tease him again. When the fear of him running off wasn't at the forefront of her mind.

She couldn't forget their conversation on the raft. Dipper's thoughts about himself and the family's wellbeing without him in their lives. Of course, he didn't know how worried and scared they had all been after he disappeared, and how long both grunkles had used on finding him again. It was only with the help of grunkle Ford Mabel actually succeeded in tracking him down. She couldn't tell him. Not now at least. He would just blame the stress on himself.

"Well, let's find a map, shall we?" She inquired, arching her brows and clapping him on the back. The cocky grimace cracked Dipper's frown and made him smile, his grip on her arms loosening as she walked around him and strolled into the town. Dipper followed behind, grateful for the hangover that had swept the streets clean of most citizens from the crazy night before.

"So, where do you think everybody is?" Mabel peered into a bar, scrunching her nose up at the foul smell in the air.

"It was actually pretty crazy last night. I don't know if they celebrated something or what, but everybody seemed to be too drunk to stand."

Mabel spun around to gape at him. "There was a party and you didn't tell me?"

"I couldn't. You needed clothes, remember?" She pouted as Dipper patted her back and continued down the street.

  


They walked for a time after that in silence, only speaking when one of them suggested another route. Dipper quite enjoyed the easy silence that rested between them, having missed the automatic understanding and ease they had shared throughout their lives together. Mabel grinned each time she saw something new, pointing to each thing with one question or another. Dipper answered the best he could, though he tried to change the subject each time he got a question he couldn't answer.

"Hey, let's try in here!" Mabel ran over to a small shop between an inn, the name was not exactly written in English, which made them both unable to decipher it, and a house without any signs outside, marking it as private property. Dipper felt sorry for whoever had to endure drunken sailors and workers as neighbours each night.

They entered the building, both almost gagging as the heavy air inside filled their lungs. The heat outside was bearable since the buildings created a nice shade over the street if you were willing to walk close to the walls, and a fresh breeze from the sea nearby provided plenty of cool and fresh air. However, the old building seemed to stop any air that wanted to penetrate the walls, every window that should have been open was covered by shelves and the like with nicknack.

Mabel jumped inside, ignoring the old air was exploring the oddities on the shelves. Their grunkle Ford would have loved the place. Dipper felt his heart tighten at the thought. He really hadn't seen any of them in eight years, and now that he finally had a chance to return home, his only thought was to run as far away as possible. The thought alone was preposterous if he didn't remember the very reason why. They still didn't know what he did, and quite frankly, he didn't want them to. He couldn't bear the thought of Mabel looking at him with such contempt and fear. It terrified him. More than the thought of changing, which was the reason for everything to begin with. If only he had inherited his father's traits instead of his mother's.

Dipper was pulled out of his musings when Mabel grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the door to a corner with a few boxes. Maps and old paintings, clearly copies or amateur work, filled the wooden boxes.

"Do you think any of these show the area?"

Dipper riffled through the old paper. Some had become yellow from old age, some were brand new. Dipper found a few maps of South India and a part of Eastern Africa. They mostly depicted water, which made it perfect for navigating at sea.

Dipper remembered the maps Pyronica had showed him while he was on the Mindscape and the course they had planned. If his calculations were correct, they should be somewhere in South India, in some small town. They hadn't seen any masts from ships, but with the sea so close, they had to have some kind of small harbour for ships to berth and weigh anchor. Maybe they could ask a ship for a ride to wherever Ford awaited them if the journey proved too long on foot.

"This one might be useful, though I need to know where we are on the map."

"Well, let's just ask the owner!"

"Mabel, we don't even-" But she had already walked over and leant against the counter where an old man stared back with heavy eyes. He had probably fallen prey to the hangover as well as most of the town. Dipper was almost impressed with his diligence to keep the shop open. The man looked dead on his feet.

"Hello! My brother and I would like to buy this map. And we would appreciate it greatly if you would point out this small town on the map as well. We have an appointment with a family member we would like to reach on time."

The man stared at her with glassy eyes, half unfocused and blinking slowly every few seconds.

"I don't think he understands us, Mabel. If it's true we are in India, he might not understand English."

Mabel pouted and moved away from the counter. "Then what do we do?"

"It might not be much, but I did spend a few months in India at some point. Maybe I can make myself understandable." He took the map with him to the counter, put it down on the table and gave his best smile. The man stared impassively back. With a few broken words, Dipper pointed to the map and then himself. The man stretched and leant forward. He tapped the map and held his hand out.

"What is it?" Mabel noticed her brother's sudden silence.

"We don't have any money, right?" Her eyes widened. They didn't.

"We- We can just- Uh, I don't know. Does he accept teeth?"

Dipper fixed her with an incredulous stare. She pulled the teeth necklace they used as a saw on the island from under her shirt.

"You took it with you?"

Mabel bit her lip with a grin and shrugged. "I didn't want to leave it behind."

Dipper sighed and turned back towards the man to ask. He didn't need to, however, since the glassy eyes had gained a glimmer of interest, his form slightly moving towards the necklace with teeth in Mabel's hand.

"Something tells me he likes teeth," Mabel grinned. Dipper laughed in disbelief and took the necklace.

"I guess you're right."

  


The man had instantly agreed to sell the old map for the necklace, waving them goodbye with an enthusiasm Dipper didn't know you could possess in that age. If his vocabulary had been better, he would have asked why the teeth were so special, but he didn't, so he let the mystery rest for now and vowed to ask around later on. The man had pointed to somewhere near the southern tip of India on the map, which they guessed were the town they had stumbled upon. Since they didn't have any money and weren't sure teeth would work again, they walked back to the beach and settled down in the sand. Dipper placed the map gently in front of them and surveyed the area. Depending on where Ford would meet them, it could take anywhere between a few hours and whole weeks before they reached the destination.

"Mabel, where are we supposed to meet Ford?" He glanced to the side, watching his sister dig a hole in the sand. She stopped as he asked, sticking her tongue out when she looked at the map.

"Somewhere along... Here!" She pointed to a location to the north from their current position, luckily still on the west coast. Then they didn't have to travel through the whole country.

"Okay, it shouldn't take too long to get there. We might be able to meet Ford in a few days."

Mabel jumped up, kicking sand everywhere as she punched the air with a fist. "Yes! Grunkle Ford, here we come!"

Dipper sputtered and grabbed the map, saving it before Mabel could land anywhere near it. He dusted the sand off his head and the paper, carefully folding it and stuffing it in his waistband. Not the best place to hold a map, but he didn't have any pockets or his bag. It would have to work.

"Off we go!" Mabel grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the town again.

"Wait, Mabel."

"What? Let's just go!"

"Let's walk along the beach. It's closer to the water, which makes it easier to get food, and we won't have to walk into too many people. We can just walk along the trees near the beach."

"Will that make it easier?" She looked doubtful as she shifted her gaze between the town and the beach, eyeing the tree line and yellowing grass with a critical eye. She would no doubt prefer the habitable route, but Dipper didn't trust their luck. It was India after all, most of the land was under the British Empire, which meant any soldier could know about him. He didn't want to be found, not now, with Mabel beside him. They were lucky the town was small enough for the soldiers to mostly leave it alone. Dipper hadn't seen any soldiers the night before. Though they could still be hiding somewhere, waiting for a mistake. He didn't want to take the chance.

"I'm sure it will be just the same amount of work to walk one way or the other, but this way we won't have to fear of bandits or soldiers discovering us. It'll be an adventure!"

Mabel's face lit up at the word, a game they often played as children. Dipper felt bad for using such a dirty move, but he had to keep her safe. He didn't dare imagine the terrified look she would have on her face if they were suddenly arrested for stepping into the wrong town along the way. He would take the problems with meeting Ford when they arrived. Maybe he could ask Mabel to find him alone and bring him out to the beach. They could figure something out together. They always did.

"Onward to adventures Dipdop! I sense something exciting!" Mabel tucked on his hand again, this time along the treeline, happily chatting away about old times and the adventures they had been on together. Dipper listened with half an ear, thoughts churning about Ford and their forthcoming reunion. He would have to play it safe and see if their grunkle knew anything. He knew he had to tell them someday, but for now, that thought was banished to the depths of his mind, locked away to hopefully never be found again. Eight years had passed. He could handle the rest of his life. Though it seemed a bit less bleak with Mabel back in it. Dipper smiled at the thought and squeezed her hand.


	10. Chapter 10

They had been sailing for a few days, following Pyronica's directions to India. Bill had stayed in his cabin most of the time, only coming out to replace whoever sat in the crow's nest. The crew was getting worried for their captain, but no one dared speak up about it. After Soos and Wendy had tried to get him out to the crew, and almost lost a hand each, they had more or less given up until they reached India.

Which was just fine with Bill. He stayed in the crow's nest most days, preferring the open sea to the confines of his cabin. It was a good hiding place, even if the whole crew knew he was up there. They wouldn't dare crawl up and disturb him, fearing he would snap and push them over the edge should they try. Which he wouldn't, of course not, they were more valuable alive. He didn't regret he yelled at Soos, the big crybaby, he just wished they wouldn't look at him like that.

"Stupid Soos, stupid Wendy, stupid kid, stupid feelings." Bill muttered a few curses as he pulled a knife out of his coat. He carved a few lines in the wood, cursing another person with each new scratch by the blade.

The stars glittered overhead. The ocean was calm, the wind slow. Bill cursed the weather as well. How would he ever catch up to the kid if the bloody wind never pushed them along! With a sigh he stood up, glancing down before throwing the knife at the door to his cabin. No one was in the range of the knife as it hit, though quite a few looked up in shock at the sudden thump.

They knew he wouldn't hit them, but with his darkening mood over the last few days, no one really felt sure anymore. Which of course made Bill even more agitated and restless. He didn't _do_ with feelings, but they still whirled in his gut and made him anxious. What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say?

Bill gripped the edge of the wooden bowl and swung over the side, dropping a few feet before reaching for the latter of ropes leading up to the masts. He crawled down, a scowl growing on his face with each step. Most of the crew scurried off when he reached the floor. Bill didn't spare them a glance as he retrieved his dagger and entered the quarter.

He had only just sat down in the plush seat behind his desk when someone knocked on the door. Judging by his little show, it had to be Wendy or Pyronica. Nobody else dared approach him in a foul mood. They had stayed with him the longest, familiarising themselves with his behaviour.

"Enter."

As he had guessed, Wendy entered with a small frown on her face. She closed the door behind her and walked to the desk, leaning over the spread papers but otherwise keeping quiet.

"What?"

"You didn't have to go that far. They are nervous enough as it is."

"You seem to have the impression that I actually care about their precious feelings." He grimaced, a foul taste filling his mouth.

She stared back, not backing down despite his teeth slowly becoming visible as he sneered at her.

"I know you do, we _all_ do, you just won't admit it. You beat yourself up over Dipper, tearing your hair out and blaming yourself. I mean, you should, you really hurt the kid, but don't let it harm the crew. Everybody screws up. Just get over it and apologise! I'm sick and tired of your rotten attitude on deck. Until you sort out your thoughts, I'm getting us to India. Don't approach the crew until you lighten up."

With that said, she strode out of the cabin and slammed the door shut behind her before Bill could even say a word to stop her. He had half a mind to drag her back in and slice her throat, but that thought quickly died again. He knew she was right, but that didn't make him happy about her attitude or sudden bravery.

With a sigh, Bill stood up from his chair and walked to the small window in the door. Outside, the crew were lighting lanterns and getting ready for a long night on deck. A few went below deck to rest before the shift. The taste still lingering in his mouth got worse. A strange restlessness ran through his spine and pulled him towards a cabinet behind the desk. He pulled out a bottle of rum and sat down again. He considered a glass but shrugged and raised the bottle instead.

"To a long night," he whispered and moved his head back, letting the burning liquid soothe his throat and wash away the foul taste. It settled pleasantly in his stomach and spread out slowly to the rest of his aching body.

  


It had been a long day of walking when Dipper and Mabel finally decided to stop for the night. The stars were out and the moon shone softly in the dark sky. They had kept to the border between sand and grass the whole day, ducking into the forest or underbrush whenever someone approached. Luckily they had only encountered two people throughout the whole day.

"Whew, I'm exhausted!" Mabel fell down on the grass, stretching her body as she spoke. Dipper plopped down beside her, rubbing a hand over his face.

"We did walk for quite a while, it's only natural, even for us. Though some people would probably be more tired than we are after such a trip."

"And we aren't even there yet," she whined, rolling onto her stomach.

Dipper clapped her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, it won't take more than a few days. We are lucky he didn't want to meet us inland, but near the coast."

Mabel pouted and stood up, stretching a hand for Dipper to take. "Then let's hurry up and eat so we can go to sleep early."

He grabbed her hand and stood as well, giving it a small squeeze before releasing it again. "Right."

He surveyed the treeline, then the beach, and back again.

"We should be able to find enough wood for a fire, and maybe something edible, though I'm not sure about the natural plants around here. If you go hunting for fish, I'll prepare a fire and hopefully find a soft spot to hide and sleep for the night."

"Sounds like a plan!" She punched his shoulder and grinned before walking to the beach. Dipper quickly turned around and walked past the first trees. No way he was seeing her undress. Hopefully, she would place the clothes far away from the water to keep it dry.

As he predicted, it didn't take long to gather enough wood for a fire, there were even a few pieces left to feed it throughout the night. Dipper found a small patch of moss under a tree not far from the beach, perfect for a single nights rest. He built the fire a few feet away from the tree's roots and made a circle of rocks from the beach around it to keep the fire in. After that, he worked a few minutes with building a flame and feeding it to the stacked branches.

Mabel appeared behind not long after, two fat fish in her hands and a grand smile on her face. As the meat cooked on sticks over the fire, they settled in on the moss and huddled together. Though the night wasn't cold, it wasn't exactly as warm and humid as the island. A bit more dry, but not cold in the slightest.

Mabel rested her head on Dipper's shoulder, glancing at the fire with tired eyes. Dipper ran a hand through her hair as he watched the surrounding trees. Though it did seem like they were alone for the night, he couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness off of him. Any second someone could see their fire and alert the officials.

"Dipper?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we'll find Ford?"

The question caught him off guard. He hadn't thought about it, but it must have been a while since Mabel left home to find him. What if Ford weren't at the planned location? What would they do?

"Do you think he won't be there?"

A small movement, her shoulders lifting and falling again in a shrug.

"I don't know. It has just been a while, that's all. I haven't seen any of our great uncles in a few months now. A lot could happen. A lot happened with you in a single night."

Dipper bit his lip at the last comment. He had hoped they could forget that until they found Ford.

"I know. I'm sure we'll find him. It'll only take a few days."

They sat in silence after that, both lost in their own thoughts. Dipper moved his hand to rub circles on her back instead. A small sigh escaped her as they listened to the forest around them, and the quiet whisper of the waves not far away.

"I know we'll find him. I'll gather the family again. No more running. I promise."

Hopeful eyes stared at him as Mabel lifted her head, a cold hand resting on his arm.

"You promise? No more secrets?"

With a nod, he silently vowed to make her happy again.

"No more secrets. We just have to find Ford."

  


It hadn't been more than a few hours when someone knocked on the door again. Bill groaned and moved his head from the desk. With squinted eyes, he focused on the door and moved the half empty bottle aside.

"Come in." His throat burned after the long sip, but it was rather pleasant for his fried mind to focus on instead of the moving room.

A red spot moved into the room. Bill rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Good evening Red."

"It's the middle of the night, sir. Are you drunk?" Her mouth dropped in disapproval.

"Hehe." Bill grinned and moved the bottle to his lips again. "I am, but apparently, someone won't let me relax with my rum in peace. What do you want?" A long swig warmed his cold body. His fingers prickled.

"We have arrived." Her voice held no emotions.

"Earlier than I expected. Great! Let's board this miserable place and get the kids back." He swayed on his feet before attempting to move towards the door. Halfway through he fell, only to be caught by Wendy and moved to stand against the desk.

"I don't think you can walk in that condition captain."

"Get off me!" He scowled and pushed her arms away. "I can walk by myself." A rather tight grip on his upper arm stopped him from moving. In any other condition he would have simply stabbed her, but with the high dosage of rum he just ingested, he had no hopes of winning a hand to hand battle, especially against Wendy.

"I'm sorry captain, but this has gone too far. I want you to sit down and _listen_." With a final scowl in her direction, he moved back to his chair and sat down, fighting the pout his drunk mind wanted to send her way. "The crew trust you. _I_ trust you, but this is too much. You are freaking out over a kid, whose feelings you've hurt. Was it any other person on this ship you would just shrug and tell them to man up. I know this is different, the whole crew does as well. We want them back too. But you've got to pull yourself together, or you will never find him and apologise. You hear me?"

His mood had dropped the more she spoke, but the anger was completely gone and replaced by resignation.

"I've been a huge idiot, haven't I?"

A small smile graced her lips as Bill sighed. "Only a bit captain."

"Very well. I shall make sure to tell the crew myself."

With no small amount of self-control, he walked slowly out of the cabin and faced the crew on deck. Wendy followed right behind him and joined Soos and Pyronica at the main mast. Whoever was still awake left their posts and turned to the swaying captain on deck.

"It has come to my attention that we have arrived at our primary destination. I would like to thank everyone for their hard work in reaching land so quickly. And apologise for being so... Angry the last few days."

A snort from Wendy lightened the mood considerately. A few crew members even grinned at their captain again. His own smile grew large on his face like it always did right before a crazy plan of his.

"And as such, I want everyone in bed to rest up for tomorrow. We have a long day of searching ahead of us, and I want everyone to be in their best form."

Cheers rang out over the ship, probably waking a few people below deck in the process. Wendy smiled as Pyronica and Soos hugged each other. Everyone seemed happy that the looming darkness over their ship was finally gone. Even Bill had a smirk on his face as he turned around and headed for his cabin again.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some rum to sleep off." With that, he shut the door behind him and fell right into bed. Outside the crew slowly settled down again and made preparations for tomorrow. Some had slept during dinner, and as such didn't need sleep, but food instead. Wendy peeked through the window to see if Bill actually went to sleep or not. He was out like a light. Pyronica looked over her shoulder and chuckled at the display.

"He really is a fool, isn't he?" A fondness filled her voice as she clapped Wendy on her shoulder. "Great job Wendy."

"Thanks, P. But he is our fool. And we wouldn't want it any other way. Hopefully, Dipper can agree with that after we find him. If not, we might need more rum in storage."


	11. Chapter 11

It took three long days of travelling, but Dipper and Mabel finally arrived at the designated town. Spirit had been high since the first night, both twins opting to keep positive until they found their great uncle. As the town appeared along the coast, Mabel jumped into the air and screamed in delight.

"Yes! We're finally here!"

"Relax Mabel, we don't want the whole town to hear." He couldn't help but grin alongside Mabel as they entered the small town. Her great mood was rather contagious.

The inhabitants were all busy with selling goods and transporting boxes. No one paid the newcomers any mind as the twins weaved through the crowd. Mabel gawked at the food stands, mouth watering at the display of fresh fruit and meat. Dipper didn't dare try the trick with selling teeth again, so he quickly pulled her away from the aromas.

"Just one bite, Dipper. Please?" Her eyes almost grew to double the size as she hugged his middle.

"Mabel, we have no money. When we find Ford, we can hopefully buy some lunch, but not now."

"A lunch without fish." She pouted her lips and released him, jumping aside as a man pushed a trolley between them.

"Who would have thought a siren could tire of fish." Mabel made a face at him.

"I can tire of anything if I don't get variety."

"I'll make sure to tell any future partner that they need to change appearance every few weeks before the marriage then." She spun around at his teasing tone, eyes narrowed to slits.

"You wouldn't."

Dipper looked at his nails before facing her, a grin plastered on his face. "Oh, but I would."

"That's it!" With that, she jumped at him, tackling him to the ground and mercilessly tickling him. Dipper writhed beneath her, heaving for breath as he laughed, unable to properly fill his lungs as his very breath was forced out of him.

"I give, I give! Mercy!"

He rolled to the side and took Mabel along with him, both shaking with laughter as people passed them by, uncaring about the odd newcomers on the ground. As long as they didn't cause any trouble, it seemed like the citizens wouldn't care about them at all. Dipper noted that for future use as he wiped his eyes. He pulled Mabel up and into an alleyway, away from the odd looks and suspicious stares. Mabel clapped his shoulder and grinned, leaning against the wall for support.

"So, where are we meeting Ford?"

She breathed deeply and pushed away from the wall. "In some place called... I don't remember the name."

"What?" Dipper stared at her in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"It was another language, I'm not as bookish as the two of you. I just know a weird crest belongs to the place, something with an octopus and three swords. Don't ask me why they chose that."

Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Then I guess we're hunting for an octopus."

  


It took a few hours, but they finally found the inn hidden in an alleyway, away from the main road and prying eyes. Mabel had almost pushed him over when she found the slap of wood above a door, paint chipped off and small cuts making it difficult to see the original painting. Without time to consider a silent approach, Mabel dragged him inside and right to the bar, bombarding the innkeeper with questions.

"Mabel, you might have to slow down, no one understands words at that speed."

"But Dipper-"

"So." The innkeeper gave them a once over and raised a brow. "You from England or something? Like the soldiers?" The accent was thick, but not impossible to understand. Dipper guessed the man must be used to Englishmen filling the bar from time to time, making it easier to pick up the language than the man in the shop a few days back.

"Yeah, just looking for... An elderly man to bring us home. We have business back in the west."

The keeper cleaned a glass and gestured to chairs alongside the bar. Dipper and Mabel sat down, eyes sweeping over the crowd for any familiar face.

"Look if you want, but don't touch anything unless you have gold. I've been cheated before." He disappeared into the crowd with a canteen of beer, occasionally looking back at them as he went.

"Well, finally someone who can speak English. That should make it easier, right?"

"Not exactly Mabel. That means soldier come here often. And they probably reside here as well, forcing the people to learn our language to communicate." A few of the guests were eyeing the twins, none of them with any friendly intentions shining from their eyes. Dipper clenched his fists and kept looking for Ford, hoping to spot the greying hair in the mass of heads.

"I don't think he's here Dipper. Maybe something has happened to him. We have to keep looking!"

"That might be a good idea." Dipper grabbed her hand and led her out before they unintentionally caused a scene. The last thing they needed were soldiers on their tail. He pulled her down two alleyways and crossed the main street before ducking into a new side road, always keeping an eye out for red fabric. Hopefully, the soldiers here would wear the same colour as they did back in England.

"Do you think he's in the city?" Her hopeful tone did not help his own falling mood. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy to start over again. He should have known it would only cause troubles.

"I don't know Mabel, but-"

A flash of red caught his eyes, pulse quickening at the prospect of being discovered now, especially with Mabel beside him.

"Mabel, did you see that?"

She looked in his direction, eyes squinted to better focus, as she always did when they were younger.

"No? What did you see?"

"I just thought I saw- Never mind. Let's go." He walked in the opposite direction, hoping it to simply be his imagination and paranoia instead of trouble.

"Hey Dipper? Maybe we should-" The sentence was cut off as Dipper collided with something and fell over, only to be caught and steadied by Mabel.

"I'm so sorry sir, I-"

"Dipper." A glance at the person he hit revealed none other than Bill Cipher, sitting on the ground with a hopeful expression on his face.

"Run." Dipper took off with Mabel right behind him, both steering into the main street and turning right, hoping to end up on the beach before Bill caught up to them.

"What is he doing here?" Mabel called over his shoulder. His pulse almost overpowered any other sound around him.

"I don't know. Just run!" They weaved through the crowd, jumping over carts and under booths, avoiding any major incidents as they raced along the road. Quite a lot of people yelled at them, but the adrenaline kept them deaf and blind to anything but the next obstacle. Daring a quick glance behind them showed Bill hot on their heels, pushing people aside as they gathered for the spectacle.

"Dipper!" Wendy came running out of a side road, joining the chase alongside her captain. Dipper swore and steered right, down an alleyway and out onto another road.

A shout caught his attention. Apparently, someone had alerted the officers and sent a group of soldiers after them as well. Mabel was heaving for air, and Dipper's own lungs burned as they raced for the docks. Just a little further. They could do it. They had to.

  


Bill had tried his fair share of crazy plans and improvised escapes, but this took the top. Never had he bumped right into the person he was searching for, only for a dozen soldiers to chase his prize as well. His fingers itched for the gun in his belt, but he knew it would only make Dipper's dislike for him bigger. The damn kid and his problems. Damn morals, too! Why did they have to become Bill's as well? He jumped over a booth and pushed another person aside. Can't people step away when someone is in a hurry?

"Captain, the soldiers." Red followed alongside him, jumping over anyone Bill simply pushed to the ground.

"I know Red. Just get their attention, I'll handle the kids." A quick nod followed the order, and Red dived into an alleyway. Bill continued until he heard a gunshot. People screamed and jumped to the side, confusion arising as more shots rang out in the air.

The soldiers up ahead stopped, turning around to access the new threat. Bill dove to the side and continued, catching the kids hiding in a shop not far ahead. Did sirens grow tired as quickly as humans did on land? He stored that information away for later as he followed them.

Through the door and up the stairs, looking for any sign of movement. A flash of white was the only warning before someone tackled him to the ground. Sharp teeth dove for his throat, a quick punch to the temple steering them away from his untimely demise.

"Mabel!"

Bill pushed the dizzy girl off of himself and stood up, backing away as Dipper kneeled beside her.

"Mabel, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

A weak moan escaped her, hands rubbing circles at her temples to soothe her growing headache.

"I'm sorry, but I had to stop her from ripping my throat out." A burning glare was pointed his way, pointed claws suddenly more real than ever before. "Truce?" Bill asked weakly.

"Never." It was nothing more than a hiss, but with a clear intent in that single word. They wouldn't leave this town in one piece. He lunged at Bill, teeth bared and claws pointing at his throat. Bill jumped to the side, inches from being ripped up. Dipper rolled to his back, kicking up to take Bill down. He grabbed the leg and threw the kid to the other side of the room. Before Dipper could stand up, Bill stood with his pistol, barrel pointing right at his head.

"Listen." Dipper hissed but stayed silent. "I don't want to fight. Believe it or not, I'm here to apologise. So suck it up and let me help you out of here. The soldiers won't be distracted forever."

Mabel had recovered enough to stand while the two fought. She walked over to Dipper and pulled him aside. Bill watched them with barely suppressed suspicion. He couldn't defend himself against two half sirens alone, even with a pistol pointed at them. One shot at a time was never really practical, but better than nothing.

"So, what do you say?"

Mabel straightened up with a grin plastered on her face, while Dipper simply frowned at him, anger never leaving his eyes.

"We have decided to trust you for now, but hold the right to rip your throat out if you trick us." The big smile only made her statement creepy instead of joking. At least he hoped she was joking. At least partially.

"Very well. Shall we be on our way then? I would like to leave before I lose a crew member."

"What?" Both twins looked slightly uncomfortable by the statement. Apparently, it was only the captain they hated enough to kill. Or simply maim. He supposed that was better than nothing.

"This way, we'll take the back alley out and down to the docks."

"Wait, who is distracting the soldiers?" Dipper grabbed his arm before he could climb out of the window.

"Red, of course. Why?" The concerned frown he received said all. A spark of anger made him clench his fists. They better have more rum on the ship when he returned.

"She will be fine. Don't worry _Dipper_." Bill didn't see the surprised look on his face as he climbed out and down, waiting for the kids to do the same. A quick glance at each other was the last push they needed to follow the captain through the town, hopefully to a new place and their great uncle. Bill just needed to bide his time and learn the twins' secrets at his own pace. He always got what he wanted in the end.

  


They followed Bill down to the docks, avoiding soldiers and keeping to the shadows. Dipper kept an eye on Bill at all time, making sure to stay between Bill and Mabel. He would need to acquire his own sword and pistol for future use. No way he would be unarmed near the crazy captain again. They arrived at the ship without trouble. Bill raised his pistol to the sky and pulled the trigger.

"Why would you do that?" Dipper hated his voice for sounding slightly panicked. He was still high on adrenaline after the chase and the following fight.

A crazy smile was pointed his way. "Just wait. Climb the ship."

Mabel did as told, smiling at the crew on deck. They received her with cheers. Dipper lingered behind, waiting for whatever the captain had planned. Bill glanced back, waving at the young man.

"Just go, she'll arrive soon."

"Wendy?"

"Who else." Bill sneered at the name. " _Go_."

Dipper boarded the ship and smiled awkwardly at the crew. They smiled back and cheered, Soos going as far as to crush him in a hug. The crew laughed alongside Mabel as her brother struggled for breath in the strong embrace. A few punched his shoulder when he was finally placed on the floor again.

The small cabin boy shouted from the crows nest, pointing to the town as Wendy emerged from the buildings, a dozen soldiers hot on her heels.

She waved at Bill as she neared them. He waved back and kneeled down, placing his hands just above the ground. Wendy placed a boot on the folded hands, Bill quickly standing up and throwing the redhead over his shoulder. She made a flip as she landed on deck, a few applauding as she sped to the wheel, not sparing the twins a glance.

The crew dispersed and readied the ship for departure. Soos threw a rope down to the captain and tied it to the main mast. Mabel pulled Dipper to the railing to watch Bill run along the ship and grab the rope. He quickly climbed up and continued to the wheel where Wendy steered them away.

The soldiers shot at the ship but not a single one of the crew was harmed. The ship soon left the docks and entered deep water, the wind catching the sails and adding speed to the retreating figure on the waves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, hopefully not too late.  
> I can't help but feel the pace is constantly shifting between too slow and okay, but it is what it is.  
> Hopefully, it'll get better soon.  
> And those tags will actually fit the story.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been a while. I'm sorry I forgot the story, I'll try to update a bit more and actually finish it at some point. Thank you for being patient with me.  
> If you have any suggestions or comments, I'm more than happy to hear them.

They had sailed the whole day to put as much distance between themselves and India as possible. Bill had stayed at the helm, occasionally glancing at the twins working on deck. Dipper quickly fell into the rhythm of the ship again, as if he had never left at all. It would all have been fine and dandy if he hadn't ignored Bill the whole time, relying on Wendy or Pyronica if he needed assistance. Mabel stayed by his side the first few hours of the journey, but quickly lost interest and played a game with Soos instead. Bill would have told them off a long time ago if Dipper didn't look so happy each time his sister laughed. He really was getting soft, wasn't he?

"Captain," Wendy called from the main deck. Bill moved his eye from the twins and onto his first mate. A knowing smirk played on her lips.

"What?" His tone was more clipped than usual, but it did nothing to stop the redhead from approaching him and gripping the helm as well.

"You need a break, it's late. Go get a proper course from the kids. I'm guessing the only reason they are still here is because you promised them a ride. We need to know where to take them."

Bill grimaced and focused on the twins. Mabel was teaching Soos and two other crew members how to make intricate knots with thread. Soos showed a surprising talent for the craft. Dipper looked on from the railing, casually twirling his own thread between two fingers.

"Why don't _you_ talk to the kid? He seems to like you better." If he sounded like a petty brat, he didn't care. The kid knew how to rub him the wrong way, and Bill was almost fed up with the attitude and obvious disdain he emitted near the captain.

"Just go." She gently pushed him towards the stairs. Bill would have lashed out at her if he felt like it. He didn't want another night with too much rum, his head still hurt. With a deep sigh, he descended the stairs to the next level of the ship.

The laughter died down as he approached the trio. Mabel looked wary but otherwise didn't acknowledge his presence. The crew members nodded or raised a hand in greeting. Bill returned the sentiment and even lifted his hat at Mabel as he passed. The bright smile sent his way told him he made the right decision.

Dipper straightened up as Bill approached, thread forgotten and eyes narrowed.

"Evening Pine Tree." He lifted his hat for the male twin as well, hoping to earn a positive reaction again. Dipper simply huffed and turned his head away, arms crossed over his chest.

"You know, Pine Tree. It's not very nice to ignore your captain." A tight smile showed the growing irritation Bill had ignored the whole day. Still no reaction. "Listen, kid-"

"Captain, we need a course before the sun goes down." Pyronica appeared before Bill could let any anger out. It was probably for the best, he mused as she pulled out a map. "It's easier to navigate with the sun up. And read the map, of course." The nonchalant tone hid her exasperation over the pair's childish antics.

Bill turned to Dipper, who had inched towards the conversation. "Well? Where do you want to go?"

"Mabel?" The girl perked up at the sound of her name. She placed the thread carefully on the floor beside Soos and joined the trio near the railing.

"Yes?"

"Where else did Ford tell you to go?"

She thought for a minute, fingers pulling at brown strands of hair. "Somewhere in South Africa, I think. A rather big city actually."

"Great!" Pyronica exclaimed, showing the map to Mabel. "Can you point out where? We need to restock the ship anyway, so it would be great to deal with both problems at the same time."

Mabel scanned the map and grinned. She pointed somewhere near the bottom of Africa, a small dot indicating a city.

"Right there."

Pyronica walked to the helm beside Wendy, planning and measuring the course. The twins glanced at each other as everyone waited for the result. Finally, the navigator straightened from the small table and handed the map to Bill, who had joined her and Wendy. "The course, Captain."

His eye scanned the paper with a bored look and handed it over to Wendy. "Seems like we have some way to go."

The first mate nodded in agreement. "Seems like it captain."

Bill turned to the twins with a gleam in his eye, emotions hidden but grin shining. "I hope you like the ride. We'll be sailing for most of a month together. Might as well get comfortable."

  


The sun had disappeared hours ago, the moon rising in its stead with a myriad of stars above the silent water. Bill had retreated to his cabin right after dinner, preferring the solitude to the noisy crew. The twins joined the crew right away, bonds strong as ever and the mood steadily growing after the hurricane of furry Bill pulled them through during the last few weeks when they searched for the siblings.

The Mindscape gently swayed as it moved through the waves. Bill reclined in his chair, a bottle of rum beside him. Though unlike last time, he didn't simply chuck the strong liquid down, but instead sipped from a glass, enjoying the taste more than the buzz as he closed his eyes. His crew was fun to be around, no doubt about that, but every once in a while he enjoyed the peace and comfort of his office.

Especially after those tiresome twins. Dipper had kept on ignoring him all throughout dinner. Bill had placed himself by Wendy, Pyronica and Soos, hoping to make amends after his... Well, a tantrum was the only thing he could really call it, though he refused to acknowledge it out loud to the crew. They all knew it, no need to rub it in. After a few awkward attempts at apologising, Wendy had simply called him an idiot and the group had laughed along with her. The closest they would ever come to an apology among themselves. If only Dipper were that easy to interact with, Bill mused as he took another sip.

The twins had arrived right after, possibly pulled over by curiosity, at least on Mabel's part, and sat down beside Wendy, as far away from Bill as possible. It had irked him, but he refrained from saying anything. No need to aggravate the kid in front of the whole crew again. No, Bill had learned his lesson on that account. No more public inquiries. The kid would only feel cornered, which he would be to an extent, though he could always leave the Mindscape again. A thing Bill wished to avoid at all cost. He didn't feel like starting another manhunt simply to restore a young man's pride once again.

A high-pitched shriek from outside his door forced Bill from the plush chair and over to his window. Outside, the twins were currently chasing each other, or rather, Dipper chased Mabel, while the whole crew looked on in amusement. Bill had half a mind to go outside and join them, but simply stayed put, content to watch from afar. His curiosity may be great, but he could hear just fine with the noise the two were currently making. Dipper would no doubt stop whatever fun he was having and go pout in the corner if Bill showed his face outside of the cabin.

He scowled at the thought and went back to get his bottle before resuming his silent watch over the crew. Soos said something to the twins, which resulted in a flustered Dipper and howling Mabel. Bill was unable to pick up the words, muffled by the wood and voices from the rest of the crew, but guessed it was something embarrassing for the kid. His twin did seem to enjoy the comment immensely though. He would ask Mabel or Soos about it later. He knew Dipper would never tell him.

The flustered face made Bill's lips quirk, a sudden wish to make the face even redder appeared. Blaming the alcohol for any stray thoughts, he took three big gulps and wiped his mouth. Outside, the crew was slowly thinning out and getting ready for the night. Wendy and Mabel waved good night and went below deck, while Soos left for the helm, and Dipper headed for the back of the ship. Curious.

With a last look at the now empty bottle, Bill decided, what the heck, and left his cabin. Body warm from the rum and head swirling with thoughts, he slowly made his way towards the back of the ship and a certain halfling.

  


The kid had already placed himself at the railing, eyes following the constellations in the sky above the ship. Bill approached on silent feet but, being near a predator, was unable to truly surprise the half-siren before him. A sigh escaped Dipper as the captain sat down beside him. For a few minutes, neither said a thing, both waiting for the other to break the silence. With the alcohol in his system, Bill couldn't hold his tongue for long.

"Enjoying the night?" It was an awful attempt at small talk, but Bill had never been good at social interactions. His go-to response always consisted of snarky remarks or crazy smiles, both of which would only worsen the fragile peace forced between them by the crews growing happiness. With nothing but silence as his response, Bill felt like yelling at the stubborn kid. He was actually trying! A little bit of help would be appreciated, though he would never say it out loud. That would be admitting defeat. He still had his pride, no matter how bad he felt about making the kid angry.

"You know, at some point, you have to talk to me again. I _am_ the captain of this ship, and the one giving you a ride to your, what was it, uncle? Grandfather?"

More silence. Bill rubbed his temples, the buzz fading and leaving a growing headache behind as a parting gift. How Bill hated running out of rum. At least after that amount of it.

"Are you even listening? I can't have a conversation with myself, people would think I'm even crazier than I already am." He snickered at his own attempt at humour, hoping the kid would at least agree with a snort or otherwise snarky remark. He stayed silent, however. Bill sighed.

A few minutes passed before Dipper stood and slowly made his way back to the main deck. Bill didn't watch him leave, instead opting to look at the black water. The empty void seemed like his only defence against the outside world, a place to hide his gaze when faced with emotions he couldn't handle. Turn his back on the world and ignore the mocking grins he knew looked back at him every time he lowered his defences.

"I'm sorry Dipper." It was barely above a whisper, the words alien on his tongue, but soothing for the grip around his chest. When had he last uttered those words to another being? It felt weird, but strangely comforting at the same time. Like he hadn't lost himself completely after all those years. Bill didn't know if he heard him, if he was even still behind him or far away, but he felt good. Even if he could never say it to Dipper's face. "I shouldn't have hit you, or accused you, before knowing the reason behind your actions. I got... Scared. I didn't want to admit it."

Bill laid back on the deck, watching the stars above instead of searching for Dipper. He couldn't say it again. Not now. He couldn't lower his defences a second time so soon. He would just wait and observe. Like he always did.

  


Not far away, just out of sight, a shadow moved from the mast to the sleeping captain. It was late, most of the crew slept soundly below deck. The helm was occupied, but the man looked tired, eyes drooping and posture slack.

The shadow moved silently, expertly, over the deck, carrying the blond captain to his cabin. Placing him on the soft mattress, a sigh escaped him as he snuggled up under the covers.

The shadow retreated back to the door. Glowing eyes watched the sleeping form, an array of colours flashing before settling back to a warm brown. He had heard every word the captain said before falling asleep, clearly drunk but not enough to slur his words. With a silent sigh, he left the cabin and headed below deck.


	13. Chapter 13

Days bled together in the small cell. Ford had long since stopped counting the days. It didn't matter. Time didn't exist down here. His right eye throbbed from the bruise he received yesterday. The swelling kept his eye mostly closed, though he could force it open just a crack if he tried. 

It had to be months since he last saw any of his family. Where were the kids? Hopefully as far away as possible. He remembered where he agreed to meet up with Mabel, places he visited in his youth while he was studying. Hopefully, she would decide to stay there until he arrived, though he never would. How long would she wait before giving up, believing him dead and moving on with her life? She wasn't exactly a child anymore. She could handle herself, he knew that. They had always been strong. He and his brother had made sure of that, especially when their mother left for her annual trip. She never told them where, and they never thought to ask. It was a siren thing, he understood that. The children did as well. 

With much difficulty, courtesy of the new bruises from yesterday, Ford heaved himself up from the floor and made his way to the corner right beside the door. A small crack revealed a cup of water, though it didn't hold more than a sip or two. It would be time for food soon. The only thing he could count on in this darkened hell hole. Despite their violent visits, they didn't want him to starve. Though for how much longer he could be useful remained a mystery to him. The children would never find him, it was useless to keep him hidden down here, wherever 'here' was. He never even got a chance to see, he just woke up on the cold floor with a splitting headache and a cruel voice asking for his great nephew. 

"Professor, I see you are up and about." Speaking of the devil, the cold voice rang out crystal clear in the hallway. Ford moved away from the door, a reflex by now, and sneered at the looming shadow outside his cell door. The lantern behind the figure hid his face, but the voice gave him away in a second. 

"Admiral Strange." A slight movement, maybe a grin, and his daily rations was pushed into his cell. "I never expected _you_ of all people to bring me anything. What happened to the young boy?"

A shrug, shifting of feet and Strange leant against the door with his shoulder. The new angle cast a shadow over his face but made Ford able to actually see a few of his features. 

"Resting. A rather nasty run-in with a pirate ship left him bleeding with a broken arm. I don't think he'll recover properly."

A heavy weight settled in his stomach. Though the kid had never been polite, he was still just a child, around Dipper's age when he disappeared. Ford felt sick just thinking about the children in a similar situation. 

"I could take a look at him." He spoke before he could stop himself. The passive face turned slightly towards him. His eyes seemed black in the dim lighting. 

"What would you want in return? You know I can't simply let you out of here, Professor."

Ford rubbed his eyes and gave Strange an annoyed look. 

"It's called human decency Strange, though I suppose you wouldn't know what that means."

A wicked grin stretched his face, hand idly playing with a stray lock of black hair from his neat ponytail. The shadows seemed to contort his face into a devilish grimace. 

"Careful professor, I wouldn't like to cut your tongue out, though I must admit it's nice to finally have some banter with you again."

"Oh spare me, your soldiers made sure to stop right before they killed me, though not without damage to my windpipe and throat. I suspect it was some kind of revenge from last time. It's not becoming for anyone to be a sore loser."

They stared each other down for a moment. Ford felt sure he had overstepped some unspoken line of respect towards his captor, but he didn't care anymore. He was sick and tired of being down here, and if his only escape would be in a coffin, the idea seemed more and more appealing each day. Hopefully, his family would then be safe from this power-hungry maniac. He couldn't let them end up like their mother. 

A dark chuckle made him shudder. He had half a mind to turn around and protect his front, but he didn't want to give Strange the satisfaction of hiding his face. 

"You know Professor. It's been a few months now, though I suppose it doesn't feel that way to you. I'm losing my patience. Where is your great nephew?"

"Fuck you." He spat on the floor, hands clenched at his side. The liquid looked slightly darker than it should, but the lighting made it difficult to decide. "Even if I knew, I would never tell you."

The humour disappeared from his eyes, though the smile stayed. It looked more like a sneer now. With a grace Ford felt disgusted he possessed, Strange drew his sword and swung it against the bars, a loud clang of metal ringing out in the darkness. A scream answered them, the voice instantly recognisable to Ford. 

_Stanley_.

"No! Stop it!" He rushed to the cell door, hands reaching for Strange to- What? Hurt him? Beg him for mercy? With a step back he smirked at Ford, hands clasped behind his back. 

"Careful Professor. You know they only listen to _my_ orders."

"Damn you Strange. Stop it!" The screams came in bursts, never a predictable pattern to prepare yourself for. Ford flinched at each scream, his own bruises forgotten in the moment of worry for his twin. 

Strange tilted his head after a particularly loud scream, small groans following the dying echo. 

"Please, stop it. I don't know where they are, you know that. Please, just stop." Ford hated himself for begging, but he couldn't bear to hear his brother in pain. 

With a look of mocking pity Strange hit the wall again. The following silence soothed his nerves. They stopped. He gasped for air, hands trembling where they gripped the bars of the cell. It felt like he had endured the torture as well. A wetness registered, and he automatically moved his hand to the area. His cheeks were wet, tears still rolling down in small lines. He didn't even know he was crying. 

"Oh Professor, it pains me to see you right now. So broken."

A burning rage build where despair had weighed him down and a scream ripped from his throat as he lunged for Strange through the bars. This time Strange caught the hand before it could make contact instead of sidestepping it. 

"Fuck you, Tad."

The use of his first name snapped him to attention, the mild irritation now full-blown anger. He pulled the arm forward, squishing Ford against the door.  With a calm voice, he hissed in his face. "Watch it, professor. I hold both of your lives in my hand. You would do well to remember that."

He pushed Ford to the floor, kicking the plate and spilling the precious water before vanishing down in the dark hallway. Ford stared at the wasted food with disgust before turning his back to the door. The screams echoed in his mind as he fell into a restless slumber. Wherever the children were, he hoped they were safe. 

  
  


They had sailed for twenty days straight, no stop, no slowing down, but the course was steady and spirit high. The crew enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere that had descended on the ship after the first day. No crew member knew the reason, but they wouldn't question good fortune, no matter how mysterious it was. 

Only one person knew, and he kept as far away from the other as possible. The captain spent most of his time at the helm, steering his ship or simply gazing at the horizon, look far away and thoughts swirling behind a golden eye. 

Dipper and Mabel spent most of their time on the main deck, helping the crew or playing games with Soos. The second mate, though the title was questionable as a real position, appreciated the help and company the twins always offered. Being one of the few pacifists on board made him an outsider, though no real hostility was directed towards him. He simply failed to join the usual topics the crew enjoyed discussing at dinner or during work. Being squeamish wasn't easy on a pirate ship, but none took offence against the other. 

Dipper pulled the rope and secured the new knot. Some of the ropes had started to fray, and he agreed with Soos they needed to be replaced before a storm could reach them. Mabel kept talking behind him, though he didn't hear the words. His gaze kept straying to the captain at the helm. 

They hadn't spoken since the night under the stars, where Bill had been drunk. He knew Bill only spoke to himself when he left the captain's side. A curious thought made him stay behind, however, to hear whatever the captain's drunken mind would reveal. The soft words had surprised him, enough to momentarily forget his anger with the captain and carry him back to the cabin. He had lingered in the door, unsure whether he should wake Bill or not. To actually talk now that his guard was down. In the end, he simply left and disappeared below deck to sleep, content to forget the world for a short period of time. 

With a sigh, Dipper straightened from his work and looked at Mabel. She had abandoned her unfocused brother and turned her attention to Pyronica, who had joined them after her shift beside the captain. Bill himself kept staring straight ahead, over the horizon and never looking at the crew on board. Or the guests. Dipper didn't know if he appreciated it or found it annoying. He had hoped the captain would try to talk to him again after the failed night. This time he had promised himself he would listen, though Bill didn't know that, and Dipper wasn't about to tell him he had heard everything the man said in a moment of weakness and suspected solitude. That would only end badly. 

A hand landed on his shoulder and Dipper removed his gaze from the helm. Pyronica looked at him with a knowing smile. 

"You should go talk to him."

Dipper shrugged her hands off, though gently enough to show no real anger or annoyance. 

"I have nothing to say." His tone lacked the usual bite he used whenever Bill and their clashing came up in conversation. Now it just sounded tired. They had all tried to convince him to make the first move, but he refused. It wasn't his problem, but Bill's. He just promised them all to listen, should Bill make the first move. 

Pyronica gave him a small smile. She clearly expected the answer. "But you have something to hear, don't you?."

"And I will listen, should he wish to tell me." That always ended the discussion. They all knew it was the best they could get, and Dipper silently appreciated their efforts to make everything right again, though they could do nothing but wait. He could do the same. 

A waving arm caught his attention and Mabel ushered him over to play another game with Soos. He nodded to the navigator and joined his sister at the railing, where their makeshift 'game table', a box and three empty barrels, stood to the side and out of the way. He snuck a final glance at the helm before turning away and dealing the cards. A few seconds later, the golden gaze flickered to the trio before focusing on the horizon once again. 

 

Darkness had fallen over the water. In the distance, you could just make out a curved outline. Pyronica estimated they would reach land just after lunch tomorrow, which meant tonight should be celebrated. The crew had cleared the main deck and brought barrels of rum from the storage. Wooden cups had been placed around the barrels, though most were now being carried around by someone. A few men played to the side, the jolly music filling the air together with laughter. 

Mabel had pulled Dipper to the middle of the floor right away, swinging around in a practised dance. It wasn't exactly a dance or any style for that matter, but a series of circles and dips they trained long ago for their mother. Mabel laughed enough for the whole crew, her high spirit pulling more and more people in to join their fun. Dipper lifted her for the last time and spun her around. She squealed with delight and hugged him as soon as her feet touched the floor again. Dipper smiled and squeezed her back. The crew clapped and applauded the grand display. Some clapped their shoulders with huge grins on their faces. Dipper shied away from the attention, Mabel no longer a sufficient distraction from the stares. He left her with Soos, who offered to take his place as a new song began, and walked to the railing beside Pyronica and a barrel of rum. He picked up a cup and filled it, ready to enjoy a drink while he caught his breath. He and his sister might be stronger than humans, but they both made up for it by working harder and more intense whenever they did something. Mabel loved the attention she could get from impressing an audience. 

The feeling of empty air in his hand pulled his attention away from the dancefloor and his sister. Wendy stood beside him, drinking from the cup he had just filled. 

"Hey! That's mine!" He tried to grab the cup, but she jumped behind Pyronica and burped as she emptied it completely. 

"You don't need it, you can't get drunk anyway."

"But I still enjoy the taste! Let me drink."

She stuck her tongue out and grinned. "Too bad, it's already gone."

Dipper grumbled and took the empty cup from her hand, refilling it and clutching it to his chest after the first sip. Pyronica and Wendy laughed at his hostile posture, and Wendy even went as far as to ruffle his hair and call him cute. The reaction was worth it. He spluttered and flushed, hands flailing and rum sloshing over the sides. Wendy grabbed the cup and downed that as well before Dipper could protest. This time he actually hissed, though it was clear he meant it in good nature with the smile that followed. Both of the women squealed in mock fright and ran for the helm, Dipper chasing right after them. 

 

Mabel stepped away from the floor and joined the captain at his door. He had taken refuge away from the dancing with a cup of rum and simply observed the crew, following the drunken movements and grinning at their failed attempts at dancing. He acknowledged the girl with a nod and emptied his cup. He had watched the little scene with Pine Tree and the girls in annoyed silence. The kid had thawed up to everyone but him, which left the captain in a sour mood every time he had to interact with Dipper or see how friendly he acted with others. It wasn't fair! And he wasn't pouting, though Mabel's smug grin made him straighten up anyway. That girl was too observant for her own good. Or maybe just _his_ own good. Whatever. 

"Sooooo." She pulled the vocal out for way too long. Bill almost wanted to turn around and go but ignoring the sister of the person you tried to apologise to never really worked in your favour. So he stayed, heaved a sigh and simply waited for her comment, something he already expected to be unpleasant for his mood. Or pride. Or both. 

"You are losing the competition."

His eye twitched. She definitely knew too much. 

"There is no competition. I have no idea what you're talking about." His tone was dismissive, final, but she didn't seem to take any offence or get the hint. Her smile only widened. 

"You are and you know it. You have to try harder, people appreciate that. Fight for it. Trust me, if he didn't want to talk it through, we wouldn't be here. He wants to make up, but you have to make the first move. We have all tried to make him talk for weeks, but he won't. He has nothing to say."

Bill took a moment to digest the words. Wouldn't they have accepted the ride at all? That was a good sign at least, and the kid hadn't been openly antagonistic towards him for a few weeks now. That counted for something. When did it change? Not long ago. Did something happen? They almost hadn't talked at all. He hadn't given it much thought either. In hindsight, he probably should have. 

"...I see," was all he said. Should he try to talk to Dipper now? The timing was great, everybody was happy and slightly drunk, even the kid seemed to have fun. He grimaced as the trio joined the main deck again, all three wearing smiles of content on their faces. Something burned in his chest. He blamed the rum. 

A gentle nudge made him turn to Mabel again. "Go talk to him."

Bill took a deep breath and handed the girl his empty cup. He didn't see the smile on her face as he approached the group. The chatter died down as he reached them, both girls looking in mild surprise, but Dipper already sported the usual scowl he reserved for Bill, whenever the captain came too close. Bill inwardly sneered back and put on his best smile, draping an arm over Wendy's shoulder. 

"Are we all enjoying ourselves?"

They looked at each other for a brief moment before nodding. 

"It's quite nice to have a party again Captain," Pyronica added, breaking the silence he had caused. Bill was silently grateful. 

A shout startled them all. They turned to see Mabel waving at them, pointing to Wendy and Pyronica before spinning in a circle and waving again. 

"I think she wants to dance," Dipper noted, tone quiet and posture guarded. The girls excused themselves and joined Mabel for the next dance. A few whistles made her giggle and Wendy threatened them all with bodily harm. 

Bill and Dipper were left alone, standing a bit away from the main area and pointedly looking in different directions. Bill coughed and gestured for the back. 

"Do you want to go somewhere quieter? It's difficult to talk here."

The suspicious glare he received almost made him groan in annoyance. He hadn't assaulted the kid! It was a simple question. 

"Fine."

  
  


The music floated over the whole ship but quieted down on the breeze as they sat in the back of the ship, backs towards the railing. Bill had sat down first, seeing as Dipper refused to lower himself, and his guard, towards the captain. They might act civilised towards each other around the crew, but the hostility resurfaced each time they ended up alone. Bill produced a bottle of rum from his coat and took a swig, before handing it over to Dipper. Alcohol made every conversation easier to handle, at least for Bill. They sat in silence for a few moments, simply enjoying the gentle breeze and starry night sky. 

"I guess it's over tomorrow. You'll see your family again and we'll sail away out of your lives." Not the best start, but he didn't know what else to say. Dipper simply hummed and took another gulp of rum. 

"Yeah." He handed the bottle back to Bill. "Then the stress is over."

They both chuckled softly. 

"I'm sorry. I reacted too harshly, and didn't even listen to your explanation first." His words were quiet, the apology feeling heavy on his tongue. How could it be so difficult this time?  Because Dipper actually looked at him this time? Because he listened?  Dipper straightened and turned to face Bill. The silence stretched on and Bill grew more uncomfortable. This was a bad idea, yet he couldn't stop himself. "It's just, you did something magical to my crew without asking me, and I don't know magic all that well, or sirens, or half sirens, and I just... Freaked out, I guess. I didn't mean to, definitely not slapping you, just yelling, but you shocked me quite a bit, and I just reacted. And I... I apologise. For that." It felt awful to admit his own panic, his weakness, the fact he knew nothing about their powers, only the weird singing. He had feared the worst and simply reacted before thinking, which he had regretted since. He had thought a lot after that episode. Too much in his own opinion. He took another swig of rum. 

Dipper looked over to the side, mulling the words over and avoiding Bill's gaze. The captain scratched the wood under his hands, long nails drawing lines on the floor. Dipper didn't seem to notice or simply chose not to comment on the nervous gesture. Whatever the reason, Bill appreciated the silence. His own heart beat fast, the uncomfortable feeling growing in anxious thoughts. How long had it been since he had last felt this vulnerable? 

A hand landed on his shoulder. Had he not kept a sharp eye on the kid's reaction, he would have flinched in surprise from the unexpected touch. But, as he saw it coming, he simply moved his gaze from Dipper's face to his hand. The touch was light, both not wanting to test the fragile peace between them just yet. 

"I... Understand. I would have reacted the same way if anyone touched Mabel. You got protective, however weird that seems to me." A nervous laugh followed, growing bolder as Bill joined, till they both laughed the tense atmosphere away. 

It might not have been the most 'heartfelt' conversation, but they both got what they wanted. Bill knew Dipper understood his explanation and had accepted the apology, however weird it had been. And he knew Dipper didn't despise him anymore. At least he hoped so. They might not have made up completely, but Bill could let him leave now. They had fixed the problem, and Bill could face him again someday. He could let it go and move on. They would meet again, even if Bill had to hunt him down one more time. It would be fun this time. Bill smiled at the thought and emptied his bottle of rum, to which Dipper squeaked in outrage. He sent Bill off with an order to get him another bottle and 'don't drink it all yourself, you greedy bastard'. Mabel gave him a thumbs up as he passed her. He answered with his trademark grin and a wink, though it was difficult to see with the eyepatch. 


	14. Chapter 14

They arrived in the late afternoon, docking away from most ships and splitting up into two groups. Pyronica and Soos were in charge of restocking the storage room and whatever else they needed before departure in the evening. Dipper, Mabel, Bill and Wendy searched through the city for the inn Ford had told Mabel to meet him in.

She kept running ahead of the group, looking at every sign before shrugging and continuing down the road. Dipper had been ready to say goodbye on the ship, but when Bill offered to escort them through the city Mabel had agreed right away. A short comment, 'he cares about us after all!', and Bill had almost taken his offer back. Especially when the whole crew snickered at her comment. Bill had simply stomped off, forcing the trio to run to catch up to him. Dipper couldn't help but laugh as well when they reached him. The look on the captain's face had been priceless.

A shout brought them over to a bar, tucked into an alleyway and looking rather dirty. Mabel pointed to the sign, a foreign name and poorly-drawn animal painted on the old wood. Was that a lion? He wasn't sure.

"It's here!" She jumped inside and looked around. Only a few tables were occupied, and the keeper looked them over with an indifferent gaze.

"So, is any of them your uncle?" Bill regarded the patrons with mild interest, hoping to spot a similarity between a guest and the twins.

"No." Dipper eyed them all before turning to Mabel, who already looked ready to give up.

"Where could he be? Do you think he's okay?" Her whine made Dipper's heart ache. He hadn't expected it to be easy, but Ford had to have a plan. They both knew it was difficult to find each other if you didn't agree on specific places.

"Let's ask the innkeeper before we panic. Maybe Ford rented a room and simply went for a walk or something."

Bill nodded and walked over to the man behind the bar, starting a conversation with the bored owner. The twins were both surprised to hear he spoke the other's language rather well. At least enough to make himself understood. Or, that's what they got out of the conversation at least. He turned back to the group and shook his head. "No man named Ford here. You got the last name?"

"Pines." Mabel wrung her hands together as she looked with hopeful eyes at the captain.

He turned back to the man, who shook his head and shrugged. Nothing. Dipper clenched his hands. What were they supposed to do now? A flash of red outside a window made him walk over, peeking down the road through the dirty glass.

"Soldiers."

"Here?" Mabel pulled at her hair nervously. "Maybe they know where Ford is."

Wendy loosened her pistol and stepped beside Dipper to the window. "I don't think they know the whereabouts of your uncle, but I bet they would _love_ to know we're here. Let's head back to the ship and regroup."

They all nodded and left the inn, keeping to the side roads on the way back.

"I had hoped the town was small enough to make it boring for the English soldiers. Apparently not." Bill peeked around a corner before motioning them forward.

"I believe Ford had the same thought," Dipper mumbled back, half to himself, and half to the others.

 

They met up at the ship a few hours later. Dipper had run right back, but the other three looked through the city after they broke up. He had sent half of the crew out as well and stayed behind to wait for their return.

When the last crew member finally returned to the ship, it was late evening and most of the city left empty for the night. Mabel launched herself at her brother, squeezing him tight as she silently shook with nerves. Dipper looked at Bill, who had just finished questioning the crew. No one had found any trace of a 'Stanford Pines' in the town.

Pyronica pulled out a map from her jacket and looked it over. "And you're sure this is the right place?"

"Of course I am!" Mabel snapped as she turned towards them. A few winced at her shrill voice. She instantly shut her mouth and looked slightly apologetic, but chose not to say anything. They all knew about the twins thanks to her powers, so it didn't matter about hiding it, although she still felt bad about screaming at them. They might not fear for their lives, but it didn't mean they were completely relaxed with every show of the twins abilities.

"Well, if he's not here, he has to be somewhere else, right? Where do you think he could be?" Wendy gently patted her shoulder.

"But I don't understand. He said he would be in one of the two locations until I arrived. There weren't any other places he dared to bring us. Why isn't he here?"

"Maybe something happened?" Bill suggested. Dipper reeled at the thought, but he had a point. If they had agreed to these locations, something _must_ have happened for Ford to stay away.

"Don't say that!" Mabel hissed the words, eyes glinting.

Bill held his hands up, palms open and relaxed. "Jeez, I'm sorry kid. But you have to face the facts. He's gone, and we have no way to track him down."

A sob broke the silence and Mabel buried her face in her hands. Dipper embraced her shaking form and glared at Bill, though he couldn't force himself to be truly mad at the captain. Only angry that he agitated his sister further. Bill was right after all. They shared the same worries. Wendy hit Bill's shoulder and comforted Mabel as well. Pyronica patted his shoulder before joining the group around the crying girl. "Nice job, captain."

Bill groaned and threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Well, what do you want me to say? We have to face the facts. I'm not going to baby a grown woman."

"You could have done it more gently," Dipper grumbled as he stroked Mabel's hair. Her sobs had quieted down to sniffles instead, hands clinging to his now soaked shirt. "We have no other choice. Let's sail to England and find Stan. He has to know where Ford is."

"And who's Stan?"

"Great uncle Ford's twin brother."

"Another pair of twins? That's pretty uncommon in the same family." Bill's eye suddenly glinted with curiosity.

"Well, how should I know? It's just how it is." Dipper sighed and waved the captain off, taking his sister to the front of the ship. He called over his shoulder to Pyronica. "Please plan a route to England. Let's leave immediately."

Pyronica looked from Dipper to Bill, not sure if she should simply follow the order or wait for Bill to agree.

He rubbed his temples and waved her away. "Just do it, I'll be in my cabin with a bottle of rum."

 

They stood by the railing, hand in hand as the ship gently rocked. Mabel had calmed down completely, resigned to stare at the horizon and remember old times instead of focusing on the uncertain future. Her brother stared down instead, following the waves with a tired look. In the moment she had been too upset to say anything about Dipper's plan. She had actually been quite happy to hear him suggest England as their next destination. They were going home! Though not for the reason she had hoped all these years. She couldn't help but worry about their arrival. He had disappeared for a reason, a reason she didn't know. He hadn't even told her yet but she waited patiently, mostly, for the day he would tell her.

"Are you sure about this, Dipper? I’m guessing there was a reason for your disappearance all those years ago. Is this a good idea for you?” A look of- hurt? pain? passed over his face before settling on determination. She could only guess what thoughts ran through his head at her question.

"I promised to gather the family again. I stand by that promise." His hands clenched at his sides, his gaze hard but unfocused on her. He looked so far away, more than ever before, lost in his own head and it scared her. Just what had happened that night?

A strong urge to pull him tight and hug him came over her, to tell him everything was okay and that they would never be separated again. It had been eight years. Fifteen at the time, and now, at the age of twenty-three, he felt like a different person, yet at the same time as her old twin brother. It was confusing and scary. More so because he disappeared together with their mother.

They had never really lived with her, seeing as she was a siren, so they had lived all their lives with their great uncles after the death of their father. But it still hurt. Losing two family members in one day had left their mark, and Mabel spent years building enough courage to leave her uncles and search for Dipper. Each day had felt like a year without her brother.

"Just promise me you won't do anything rash. For me?" Her voice was weak, but she had to say it. She had to make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid to make her happy. She knew that look in his eyes. The way the colours seemed to constantly shift and swirl.

He smiled, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I will."

The way he avoided the word 'promise' stuck with her, and she almost asked him to swear on it, when someone called for his help.

"You better go." She gave a half smile, lips pulling away to show curved teeth. It looked more like a grimace and she knew it, but he smiled back all the same and left her alone. The smile didn't reach his eyes. They knew each other too well. The only downside of being so close. Neither of them had been able to hide anything from the other for long. She would talk to him later. No way she was letting him be the self-sacrificing idiot he usually was. Not anymore.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who completely forgot about this story. Me! But, I'm committed, so it will be done. At some point. Hopefully.   
> Anyway, here is another chapter, finally.   
> Sorry for the wait.

They had been sailing for three weeks now, and although the mood had greatly increased, it was still getting to the twins. Mabel had never been staying at the same place for so long, now longing to just jump over and swim away to the depths of the ocean below them, while Dipper, though more experienced with sailing, still felt trapped and bored after so long in the same place. His travels had always been short and quick, darting from place to place with whoever left at the same time and leaving the ship behind at the first stop. 

Dipper had more than once suggested his sister go for a swim alongside the ship, but each time she refused, saying she wouldn't leave the ship without him. That always ended the argument, seeing as he hadn't set a foot in the water since jumping over the ship a few months ago, and didn't plan on ever doing it again if he could help it. She was disappointed but understood his reasoning. If she lost all senses and memory every time she shifted, she would probably stay away from it as well. It had taken a great effort for Dipper to confide that much to her. She appreciated it. 

But, they were halfway on the route to England, and soon they would find their great uncles and leave together. She looked forward to living with her family again, though she would miss the quirky crew greatly. Hopefully, Stan and Ford would let them visit from time to time if they stuck around long enough to learn the new location of the family. 

It was a brand new day and Mabel looked forward to getting home. It wouldn't take much longer. 

 

In the late afternoon, clouds had gathered over the ship and darkened the sky. Pyronica had taken to her compass to hold the course instead of the sun. Wendy stood at the helm, Bill beside her and both spoke softly to each other as they glided through the sea. Mabel, Dipper and Soos worked on the main deck, checking the ropes and playing around as the day went by. Casper, the quiet medic Dipper had never really spoken to, emerged from the lower deck and stood by the railing, arms crossed and grim look turned towards the sky. A quiet murmur caught Dipper's attention and he moved towards the brooding medic. 

"Something wrong?"

A sideways glance and a finger pointed to the sky answered him. 

"The clouds? What about them?"

"Bad sign." His voice was quiet, reserved, but still deep and full of worry. 

"Why?" Now Dipper felt intrigued. Not many reacted to the small changes in the weather like sailors did, and Dipper had learned to respect their instincts throughout the years. 

"They came too quickly, the wind is too quiet. Bad sign."

He turned to the helm and walked away, effectively ending the conversation, however short it had been. Dipper looked to the sky. The clouds covered the sun, but the light grey colour didn't exactly seem foreboding or promising of rain and storm. 

A few minutes passed where Dipper kept an eye on Casper and Bill by the helm. They quietly discussed something, probably Casper's premonition about the weather. Bill suddenly called to Wendy and pointed to the crow's nest. With no further comment, she crawled up, replacing Silvin who had stayed there for most of the day. Dipper felt the anticipation growing amongst the crew. Apparently, Casper never showed himself on deck unless something was about to happen. Some might call it pirate superstition, but the crew had experienced too many coincidences to simply ignore it. 

Which only made it all the more creepy when the wind suddenly picked up and the crew stopped working altogether. Dipper shivered. Something didn't seem right. All eyes turned to Bill as the sails fluttered in the wind. With a nod to Bill, Casper excused himself below deck to ready the equipment for after the storm. Dipper didn't see that as a good sign. 

"Pyronica, with me. Soos, double-check all ropes with the twins. you two, tie down every cannon below deck. The rest of you, secure the sails and get ready. It's gonna be a long night!" With that, the ship erupted into chaos. As controlled as it was, Dipper and Mabel felt out of place and confused as the crew got into well-known positions for the storm. They didn't get a chance to react before the first wave crashed into the ship and tipped them both off their feet. Luckily the rain hadn't started yet, which kept the wood dry and easier to hold onto. 

They both got up and joined Soos by the main mast, grabbing a rope each and holding on, though they knew the water wasn't as dangerous to them as the rest of the crew. It could still be disorientating in the dark, especially with such tall waves. The ship rocked from side to side, tipping the crew over, but not enough to throw them off. The twins nodded to each other and set to work, syncing their movements with the waves. 

 

As the crew finished preparing the ship, the rain fell only minutes later and people were soaked in no time. An unsynchronized wave hit the ship and Dipper held onto Mabel before they could fall off. Soos stood beside them, holding a rope and squinting at the helm where Bill stood, making sure the captain didn't fall off without anything to hold onto. 

They swayed through the waves, lightning crackling overhead as they navigated through the storm. Bill's gaze never wavered from the horizon, knuckles white from his grip on the wheel. 

A forceful push and the ship tipped dangerously. A scream ripped through the howling wind. Wendy hung by the nest, dangling precariously over the water below as the ship bowed to the side. Her hair hung in a wet mess over her face, obscuring the frightened gaze beneath. 

Bill jumped from the helm, leaving Pyronica to steer as he ran towards the railing under Wendy. She slipped from the wood and fell. The scream that followed her down spoke of the fear everyone felt at that moment. Bill just barely caught her wrist and hauled her up onto the deck. The ship tipped to the other side and Soos slid towards them both. Bill pulled Wendy aside to avoid all three falling overboard. With no words, Dipper and Mabel let go simultaneously of their rope to jump after him. He fell over and dangled in the air as the twins grabbed an arm each and held on. Bill and Wendy grabbed a waist each to keep all three from falling in. With great effort, they hoisted all three back and over the railing, collapsing on the wet floor. Soos' complexion had changed from light brown to a greyish hue that didn't look particularly healthy. 

"Watch out!" They looked up from Pyronica's shout to see a wave taller than the ship crash against the railing they leaned on. A flash of lightning illuminated the deck, but only four silhouettes could be seen by the railing. A scream tore through the wind. 

 

The shock of cold water momentarily paralyzed Dipper as he hit the water. The burning started not long after, black spots appearing in his vision. Not now! Dipper struggled to keep his legs, even as his lungs screamed for air. His body fought to transform, to survive and live as he always should have, but his mind refused. _I won't lose my consciousness again._ He kicked off to resurface, to get just a single mouthful of air, to get back to the ship. The sudden air helped.  He coughed up water and gulped down air before another wave pulled him down again. It almost sounded like someone screamed his name before his ears were filled again. His throat itched to grow gills. His legs felt like jelly. He looked at the ship one last time, hoping to find them again when he finally transformed back. 

A black shadow suddenly moved away from the ship and into the water near him. Mabel? Of course, she would jump in after him. He hadn't hurt her before, hopefully, he wouldn't do it again. The mass seemed to have trouble moving in the water, which confused his already muddy brain. Mabel had tried bad weather before. She knew what to do. It was so calm underwater, even during a storm. The call to transform grew stronger as he sank downwards. 

A sudden flash of gold distracted him. Gold? Their eyes didn't glow gold. Not such a pure colour. The silhouette swam nearer. Legs. It had legs. Why hadn't she transformed? Why did only one of her eyes glow? His eyes glinted as the figure came closer. It wasn't Mabel. It was Bill. _Bill jumped in after me?_

Bubbles escaped his mouth as he reached for Dipper. The golden eye closed as his hand faltered. _Bill?_ Something clicked in his tired mind. Bill couldn't breathe underwater, he couldn't survive for longer periods of time as Dipper could. He was drowning. 

In a moment of adrenaline-fueled clarity, Dipper grabbed Bill's arm and pulled him upwards. The burning in his body had dulled, but his lungs still hurt from lack of air. His legs still felt like jelly, but at least they were legs and not a tail. How had he stopped the transformation? The black spots grew. His mind screamed for survival. He was slow, burdened by the extra body, but he couldn't just let the captain die, even if he was an idiot for jumping into the water. He had to tell him that personally. Had to punch him for being stupid. Had to... What?

Dipper resurfaced and coughed up water. His lungs hurt but he was alive and still human. How he did it, he didn't know, but he would find out later. He _needed_ to know. Right now, he had to haul the idiot out of the water. 

A splash beside him almost made him swallow seawater, but when Mabel's face appeared beside him, he couldn't help but laugh, even with an unconscious pirate on his back. She flashed her crooked teeth and bound the rope from her own waist around Bill. A sudden pull lifted him upwards, and the twins watched him disappear over the railing before another rope was thrown down to them. Dipper secured it around himself and held onto Mabel as they ascended. She giggled as her tail split into a pair of legs again. Dipper almost envied her easy transformation, but squashed the feeling and smiled back at her. He didn't need the power, he was happy as a human. Or, half human. 

As they finally stood back on deck, Dipper marched over and smacked Bill in the back of his head. Water dripped down his chin as he coughed up water. 

"Wha th' 'ell?" Another cough stopped whatever he was going to say next. 

"You idiot! I can breathe underwater, I'm a freaking siren and you jump in after me like I'm some damsel in distress. You almost _drowned!_ " His hands flew around as he raged, eyes constantly shifting colour in his aggravated state. 

Bill wiped his chin and stood up on wobbly legs. Soos tried to stabilize him, but a hand stopped him from moving further. "I jus' tried to help."

"Well don't die trying. What would I have done if you died? What about the crew?"

Mabel placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "Let's get him inside. They can handle the rest, right Wendy?" 

Wendy smiled weakly and gave a thumbs up, waving them away as she sent people back to their stations. Mabel grabbed an arm and helped Bill move towards the cabin. Dipper grumbled under his breath and joined them, holding the door open as they entered. She placed Bill on the bed and helped him get rid of his soaked boots and shirt. Dipper stayed near the door, waiting for Mabel to exit so he could close it again. 

Bill laid back with a sigh, stretching his muscles and breathing deeply to work his lungs back into proper function again. 

"Go join the others Dipper. I'll stay and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid again." Bill faked offence at her words. Dipper rolled his eyes and turned towards the door. 

"Thanks, Dipper."

He paused for a second, face unreadable, before nodding and closing the door behind him. Bill groaned and rubbed his eyes. 

"Even though it was really stupid, I'm glad you tried to help my brother."

"He would have done the same for me." He didn't exactly sound convinced by his own words, but he had to believe they had moved forward during the trip. 

"He did. You almost drowned. Both of you." The last sentence caught him off guard. Her pained expression even more so. 

"But he can breathe underwater, right?"

"If he transforms. He didn't, probably to save you instead. I don't know _how_ he did it. He cares, even if he won't say it."

Bill didn't know what to say. Dipper almost drowned to save him? It seemed unlikely, but his own twin had to know him the best. 

"Guess he doesn't hate me completely anymore, huh?" He said with a small grin. 

Mabel gave a weak laugh. "He doesn't. But you still suck at social interactions, especially with Dipper."

Bill spluttered in indignation. How dared she? He was a charmer. 

Mabel grinned and pushed him back on the bed. "Get some rest. And remove your eyepatch before it chafes your skin."

Bill selfconsciously covered his patch with a hand, visible eye twitching in discomfort. She waved goodbye and left the cabin with a wink. He felt rather grateful for her consideration. Though how she knew he was hiding something underneath it troubled him. 

He slowly removed the patch and placed it on the table beside him. The darkness inside the cabin made it impossible to see much, which helped him relax as he laid down to sleep. As long as no one disturbed him tomorrow, everything would be fine. The patch would be dry and he could hide everything again. And ask her how much she knew. 

 


End file.
